Power ICs set for market rebound next year

After dropping about 14 percent in 2009, the world market for power management and driver ICs is forecast to recover strongly in 2010. This will be followed by an average growth of around 10 percent each year for the following five years. This is according to the latest analysis from IMS Research.

The fastest growing markets of the fifteen analyzed are predicted to be those for PoE ICs, integrated power stages (including both non-standard and Intel standard DrMOS), and Power Factor Correction (PFC) ICs.

Ryan Sanderson, market analyst for IMS Research's power and energy group commented, "2009 has been a tough year for many semiconductor manufacturers, particularly during the first half; though the power IC market has been a little more resilient than most. Indeed, the markets for PoE and PFC controllers are even forecast to grow in 2009, which is impressive given the current economic climate."

Sanderson added "Strong revenue growth for nearly all product types is projected from 2010 to 2013, driven largely by a continuing need for equipment to be more energy-efficient. This often requires a more complex, and therefore more expensive, power management solution. Integrating more power-hungry functions, particularly in portable equipment which need to offer longer battery life, will also help the market for power ICs, particularly battery-management ICs.

The market research firm also reported that the greatest revenue opportunities for power ICs over the next five years are in high-end consumer devices and the portable PCs, with strong continuing demand for both flat-panel TVs and netbooks. The market for power ICs in merchant power supplies will also recover in 2010 and grow strongly with demand from new applications such as LED lighting. Texas Instruments was found to be the largest supplier of power management and driver ICs in 2008, where ten suppliers accounted for over half the world market.