Dec 17 2009
The global market for lasers is expected to grow about 11% in 2010 bringing total revenues to $5.91 billion for the year, according to a new industry forecast from Laser Focus World.
For the first time since 2000, worldwide laser sales fell during 2009 because of the worldwide recession. The new forecast anticipates a return to growth in 2010. Aided by a turnaround in the semiconductor and communication equipment business and in the general economic situation, the laser market should pull out of the downturn and return to 2006 levels.
These findings are based on the Laser Focus World annual review and forecast of the laser marketplace, to be presented in detail at the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar in San Francisco, CA on January 25, 2010.
This forecast includes worldwide sales of all types of lasers for use in applications as varied as medicine, metal cutting, vision correction, fiber optic communications, and DVD players.
"Recovery is coming in 2010, but some laser market sectors will do better than others," said Dr. Tom Hausken, analyst at Strategies Unlimited who conducted the survey.
"There are no 'hot spots' - some of the upturn is simply a return to a 'new normal' now that inventories are depleted, and some is due to pent-up demand," he said.
"Semiconductor and display manufacturing tools, biomedical systems, and R&D are already on the rise," notes Hausken, "but slower sectors--such as most of materials processing--will not see growth until late 2010 or even 2011.
"And business visibility remains poor," he said. "Orders can suddenly surge, since there is little excess in the supply chain."
Source: http://www.laserfocusworld.com/index.html