Fuji Chimera Research Institute Inc has forecast that the global market for UWB (ultra wide band) chips will reach ¥95 billion (US$944 million) in 2012, 190 times larger than in 2007. The company's estimate is based on its survey on global markets for electronic components and materials.
The UWB chip market had virtually no value as of 2006 but was rapidly established in 2007, the company said. The market scale was ¥500 million in 2007. Manufacturers that adopted UWB chips for their notebook PCs, hubs and dongles, etc, one after another accelerated the expansion of the market. For full-scale demand growth, however, "UWB-based PCs are essential," Fuji Chimera explained.
The company expects UWB chips to be adopted for the top one or two high-end notebook models of every manufacturer as early as around the end of 2008 and expects them to be incorporated into almost every notebook by 2009 or 2010.
Then applications are likely to extend to multi-function printers, digital video cameras, digital cameras, HDDs, projectors and other computer peripherals, Fuji Chimera said. The company forecast the UWB chip market will grow to ¥9 billion in 2008.
Fuji Chimera said the market for LED backlights for TVs will also grow significantly. The global market for LED backlights for TVs was ¥6 billion in 2007. Sony Corp was the world's first TV manufacturer that ever incorporated LED backlights in its 46-inch LCD TV in 2004. The full-scale market was established in 2006, after Samsung Electronics Co Ltd of Korea released TVs featuring LED backlights targeting Europe.
The company predicted the global market for TV LED backlights will grow 4.5 times the size in 2007 to ¥27 billion in 2008, and 40.5 times to ¥243 billion in 2012. Fuji Chimera feels that LCD TV manufacturers will start employing LED backlights primarily for their high-end models due to factors including the 20mm slim LCD TV that Sharp is planning to mass-produce from 2009.
Then TV LED backlights will begin to spread in full swing in 2010, when LED unit price lowers reflecting stronger demand from manufacturers of automobile and lighting system applications, the company forecast.
The global ZigBee market, which was ¥7.5 billion in 2007, is expected to grow 11.5 times the size in 2007 to ¥86 billion in 2012. ZigBee is currently used for home automation mainly in North America.
Meanwhile, in regions where the 2.45GHz band is allotted to ZigBee, the technology is used for building automation, engineering and industrial applications, which can afford measures to deal with ZigBee's interference with Bluetooth and wireless LAN and the cost of the expensive devices.
ZigBee was employed as an infrared substitute for the RF remote controller of Sony's "BRAVIA" LCD TV in 2007. The use of ZigBee in RF remote controllers will increase from now on, the company said. Fuji Chimera also cited medical equipment applications, among other possible uses, as being a good fit for ZigBee.
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