Wellingborough, UK – 18 Nov 2011. Whilst the automotive camera module market is growing rapidly, the supplier base is consolidating so that not all suppliers are benefiting from this growth. The latest market share numbers from IMS Research <http://www.imsresearch.com> show that the two leading suppliers of front camera modules, Gentex and Continental, will increase their combined market share by nearly 10 percentage points in 2011.
The global automotive front camera market has grown by over half a million units between 2010 and 2011. At the same time, Gentex and Continental, have increased their combined share from 49% to 58%. This has obviously been at the expense of the remaining supplier base, in particular the smaller ones with market share of less than 3%.
Helena Perslow, Senior Analyst at IMS Research is not surprised. “Gentex and Continental have both been active in this market since the very beginning and have managed to carve leading positions in their respective niches. As the market grows, we believe it will become increasingly difficult for smaller suppliers to increase their share of the market. There is a steep learning curve in the automotive camera market and OEMs highly value a strong track record in what is essentially a safety application.”
What Perslow is saying is good news for established suppliers who already have long-standing relationships with OEMs and are familiar with the industry. However, those smaller suppliers with a market share under 2-3% may struggle to fully benefit from the strong market growth expected.
Looking ahead, in the coming 12 to 18 months the list of leading suppliers is unlikely to change significantly. However, Gentex and Continental face different challenges. Gentex, the market leader, is currently focused on just one specific front camera application – automatic high beam control. Continental, on the other hand, has several front camera applications and combinations available on the market. As the market develops, the number of applications on mass market vehicles will multiply and different combinations will emerge and grow in popularity. Continental looks well placed to benefit from this trend, whilst Gentex will need to diversify to develop new applications if it is to maintain its share of the overall automotive camera market.
For more information please contact:
Helena Perslow – Senior Analyst at IMS Research
T: +44 (0) 1933 402255
[email protected]
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Stacy Hackenberg
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About the World Market for Automotive Camera Modules – 2011 report
This is the third edition on this topic, it addresses several areas beside unit and revenue forecasts up to 2019 for camera modules and 12 applications. It also looks at analogue vs. digital camera usage as well as “one-box” vs. “two-box” camera usage.
About IMS Research
IMS Research is a leading independent supplier of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry, offering syndicated market studies, custom research and consultancy services. Clients include most of the household names in the industry. IMS Research has offices in Europe, the US, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. To find out more, contact IMS Research: [email protected]; T: +44 (0) 1933 402255; http://imsresearch.com
