Frost & Sullivan is predicting that the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Automation and Control Solutions (ACS) Services Market will almost double between 2008 and 2015, growing at an average 9.6% compound from $4.43bn to $8.41bn. Driving demand will be the shrinking skilled work force at end-user plants, combined with the need for maximum asset utilization, optimized production processes and energy efficiency. Although the current economic downturn is constraining budgets and the traditional conservatism of end users remains a hindrance to adoption, investment levels are set to rise as economies recover and end users recognize the benefits.
The world market for operator terminals is expected to have contracted by almost $300m in 2009 from its 2008 level of $1.96bn, according to new data from IMS Research which expects the effects of the downturn to be prolonged. Although growth will restart in 2011, it suggests that total revenues in 2013 will still be little or no greater than those in 2008. Operator terminal revenues from the automotive sector, the largest user sector, are set to decline by more than 20% in the current year.
