According to McKinsey, in 2023 alone, 183 billion US dollars in private investments were made globally in the electrification and renewable energy sectors.

For the electronics and semiconductor industry, the All Electric Society offers enormous potential, as it provides the key products for this vision. According to Mordor Intelligence, the market for semiconductor components for e-mobility will grow by an average of over 30 percent annually from 2024 to 2029. This includes particularly power electronics – a key technology for the energy transition, not just for e-mobility, as it enables efficient conversion and control of electrical energy. Modern semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) offer significant advantages over traditional silicon.

According to a study by Yole Développement, the market for SiC semiconductors will grow to 6.3 billion US dollars by 2027. The energy distribution segment also offers great growth potential: according to a report by MarketsAndMarkets, the global smart energy market (smart grids, smart meters, etc.) is expected to grow from 170 billion US dollars in 2022 to 283 billion US dollars in 2027.

These are just a few examples that illustrate the enormous potential of the All Electric Society. And even though the vision of comprehensive electrification is currently gaining traction mainly in Europe, it has international implications and presents a global alternative to the current CO₂-intensive society. As a passionate semiconductor distributor, EBV is happy to help you leverage this potential.

William Caruso
President EBV Elektronik

The post The most efficient path to climate neutrality is electrical appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

HMIs come in many different forms; you could even consider the humble light switch to be an interface between humans and machines (in this case a bulb). However, as new technologies come onto the market and our world becomes increasingly digitalised, HMIs have also become much more complex and challenging. The products released by Apple, for example, demonstrate very clearly how a product’s appearance and a user-centric, intuitive operating concept can play a pivotal role in setting a brand apart and in providing a consistent user experience. As a result, the latest Human Machine Interfaces are made up of an entire system of hardware and software components. Motion sensors, various different peripheral devices, voice control and other solutions are all used to convey a person’s instructions to the machine and send corresponding feedback. New ways in which humans can interact with technology are continually emerging, with the range of HMI solutions now ranging from multi-touch screens and remote touch systems (where machines are controlled using a smartphone) all the way through to voice and gesture control.

These modern interfaces not only make it easier to use machines and devices error free, they also lower the operating costs (as fewer display panels and cables are needed) and allow for tailored designs to suit different users and applications. As a result, market analyses are forecasting stable growth in the Human Machine Interface segment. For example, Allied Market Research estimates that the global market for Human Machine Interfaces will grow from 4 billion US dollars in 2021 to some 10.8 billion US dollars by 2031.

Modern HMIs are based on MCUs, processors, sensors and, of course, software. They even use artificial intelligence, meaning they need high-performance microcontrollers and chips. Unfortunately, there are currently no available up-to-date figures on the potential market for semiconductor solutions in the HMI segment. However, if we look at various market analyses for micro-electronic components, it is plain to see that the HMI segment offers huge potential for the semiconductor industry. For instance, according to Reports Insights, the market for capacitive sensors is set to grow by an average of 5.3 percent annually until 2030, driven by trends such as the increasing demand for capacitive sensors for use as touchscreen input devices on smartphones, tablets and wearables. The growth forecast for contactless gesture recognition systems (which require a range of different semiconductor solutions) is even more impressive: according to Allied Market Research, this segment is set to grow by an average of 21.5 percent annually until 2031. The world of HMIs is diverse and complex, so this issue of “The Quintessence” aims to provide an overview of the different technologies and the latest trends. Our experienced experts would also be pleased to assist you if you have any questions regarding HMIs or the necessary semiconductor modules.

William Caruso
President of EBV Elektronik

The post The world of Human Machine Interfaces appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

The majority of recent innovations in the mobility sector would not have been possible without the semiconductor. Its fields of application range from sensors and environment detection to power electronics for electric motors and artificial intelligence for traffic management. According to the analysts at Market Research Future, the semiconductor market in the automotive industry alone is set to grow by 8.8 percent annually from 2022, to more than 85 billion US dollars in 2030.

Electromobility is an important driver here. According to Yole Développement, the market for power semiconductors will triple to around 5.6 billion US dollars between 2020 and 2026. The figures are even more impressive when it comes to chips for autonomous vehicles. According to Precedence Research, by 2030 they will have reached a market volume of 29 billion US dollars, which corresponds to an average annual growth of more than 38 percent in the period 2022 to 2030.

At the same time, the demands of urban populations on vehicle use are increasing, which calls for a smart form of mobility. As well as innovative modes of transportation, this includes vehicle sharing, affordable local public transport, Mobility as a Service, and improved traffic and mobility management.

Precedence Research predicts that the market volume in 2022 will already be almost 58 billion US dollars – and by 2030 this is expected to grow to 250 billion US dollars. Aspects such as the 5G mobile communications network, cloud technologies, wearables and data processing capacities at data centres and the edge also belong to the future of mobility solutions.

Innovative semiconductor-based technologies will do more than make vehicles smarter – they will fundamentally change the way we see and use transportation. That holds great prospects for both the semiconductor industry and manufacturers who develop mobility solutions.

As a passionate semiconductor distributor, EBV Elektronik would be more than happy to help you make the most of these opportunities: http://www.ebv.com/automotive

The post Semiconductors – paving the way for a changing world of mobility appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

It is anticipated that 100 per cent of all newly registered cars will be electric in Europe from 2035. However, this increase in demand also requires the charging infrastructure to expand alongside – preferably as quickly as possible.

Despite the fact that the number of charging points in the EU has increased significantly  over the last five years (+180 per cent), the total number lags far behind the number that is actually needed.

A recent study from the ACEA shows that, by 2030, up to 6.8 million public charging points will be required in order to achieve the CO₂ reduction target of 55 per cent for cars – which means that, in less than ten years, the number of charging points needs to increase more than 22-fold.

It is a huge market that offers great opportunities for companies who manufacture and sell charging solutions. The market researchers at Fortune Business Insights are expecting the global market for charging stations to increase from 17.59 billion US dollars in 2021 to 111.90 billion US dollars in 2028.

But it is not just the charging hardware which is crucial to success in this market; the manufacturers at the forefront will be those with the best software for energy management and “bidirectional” charging.

Furthermore, charging point manufacturers can generate extra income with the data collected from energy management in conjunction with local and national power grids.

According to business consultants at Roland Berger, these types of additional services alone will be worth six billion US dollars in 2030. All of this does not just present fantastic opportunities for the providers of such charging solutions, but also for the electronic components  industry.

Because no charging point or charging station would work without power electronics, connectivity solutions or charging controllers.

At EBV Elektronik and Avnet Abacus, we support manufacturers with everything they need for their charging solutions – starting from the right hardware and software modules, to the necessary charging cables and plugs, right up to specific cloud solutions.

The time-to-market can be reduced significantly with this end-to-end solution, providing the best starting point to secure a share in the market of this rapidly expanding industry.

Rudy Van Parijs, President Avnet Abacus and Thomas Staudinger, President EBV Elektronik

The post More power for electromobility appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

The last few months have shone a light on the role that semiconductors play in our economy. First came the US-China trade conflict and the 2019 economic downturn, then the COVID-19 outbreak – all of this threw supply chains around the world into disarray. What’s more, many semiconductor factories in the Asia-Pacific region scaled back their operations. In other parts of the world, factories have been affected by natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes. At the same time, demand for chips is constantly on the rise – according to current estimates by the German Electrical and Digital Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI), growth in the market for power semiconductors alone will triple by 2030. At times, this level of growth results in considerable supply bottlenecks for semiconductors and chips. 

That being said, there are also internal reasons for the supply difficulties in the semiconductor industry: The group of companies that generates the lion’s share of global semiconductor sales is a small one (read more about this on page 22). In computer chip manufacturing, around 70 percent of global turnover is generated by a mere two companies. On top of that, many semiconductor companies do not have their own factories, preferring instead to have manufacturing done in Asia. Almost every fourth chip is manufactured in China – but for the most part not on behalf of Chinese companies.

To stabilise supply chains and reduce dependencies, more and more countries are planning to move manufacturing operations back to their own countries. For example, the USA plans to invest around 52 billion US dollars over the next decade to bolster the domestic semiconductor industry. The EU is also planning to establish greater autonomy in the field of semiconductors with its own “European Chips Act” (read the interview with the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, on page 8).  

For chip manufacturers, these investments, combined with consistently high demand and lower levels of supply, mean that the prospects are dazzling. According to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organisation, global semiconductor sales grew by 25.6 percent in 2021 alone, to 553 billion US dollars. According to Fortune Business Insights, sales are expected to exceed 800 billion US dollars by 2028.

With the substantial investments from the industrial and political spheres, semiconductor technology will also continue to develop: New materials and chip architecture, the shift to 450-millimetre wafers, 5-nanometre components with 3 or 2 nanometres already in the pipeline – all of this shows that Moore’s Law has plenty left in the tank (cf. page 38). Innovations that seemed inconceivable just a few years ago are now a reality. 

The multitude of different developments in the semiconductor industry and semiconductor technology present tremendous opportunities. EBV Elektronik would be more than happy to help you make the most of them. For now, I hope this makes for exciting reading. It’s time to immerse yourself in the world of semiconductors!

Thomas Staudinger

President of EBV Elektronik

The post Semiconductor industry in the throes of change appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

Best of 10 everyday energy-saving hacks

640 kg savings CO₂ per year
Traffic: take the bus, bike, or train to work

Try and leave the car in the garage as often as possible – cycling is also every bit as healthy as walking.
(Savings based on a commuting distance of 20 km)

350 kg savings CO₂ per year
Heating: turn the temperature down

Nobody should sit in the cold! Yet even reducing the room temperature by one degree makes a big dent in energy consumption. (Savings based on a 4-person household)

330 kg savings CO₂ per year
Washing machine: a full load at a low temperature

Eschew the pre-wash and always wash at a maximum of 60 degrees – and only ever in exceptional cases at 95 degrees. Then hang them out on the line instead of tumble drying

170 kg savings CO₂ per year
Electronic devices: switch them off completely

Electronic devices still consume electricity in rest mode or on standby.

125 kg savings CO₂ per year
Heating: shut off the warm-water circulation

The convenience of getting hot water from the tap immediately guzzles electricity and heat energy around the clock. Installing a timer switch is an alternative to a permanent shut-off.

46 kg savings CO₂ per year
Hob: put a lid on the pot

It might sound simple, although many amateur chefs still don’t do it despite the potential electricity savings. It’s also important that the size of the pot matches the hob plate.
(Savings based on cooking 3x a week)

27 kg savings CO₂ per year
Computer: laptop instead of a PC

Laptops have energy efficiency built in to ensure that their batteries last as long as possible.

21 kg savings CO₂ per year
Router: switch off in the evening/at night

On some routers, it is possible to deactivate the WLAN at night with a timer.

18 kg savings CO₂ per year
Hob: steam eggs and vegetables with just two centimetres of water in the pot…

…instead of covering them completely to boil. If a pot isn’t filled all the way up with water, this will save time as well as electricity.

9 kg savings CO₂ per year
Refrigerator: raise the temperature by one degree

Many households have their refrigerator set too cold. A temperature of seven degrees is sufficient to keep food fresh.

The post Energy-saving hacks for everyday appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

Energy generated from solar and wind power in 2021

Together, these three regions account for almost three quarters of the world’s energy derived from solar and wind power. 

USA = 550 terawatt hours
European Union = 580 terawatt hours
China = 990 terawatt hours

(Source: IEA – Global Energy Review 2021)

Costs are decreasing

Over the past ten years, the cost of electricity ­generated from renewables has decreased significantly, which can be attributed to optimised technologies, economies of scale, increasingly competitive supply chains, and ­growing experience in project development.

Costs in the year 2010 = 100 %

Costs in the year 2019…
…Offshore wind energy = 71 %
…Onshore wind energy = 61 %
…Solar-thermal power plants = 53 %
…Photovoltaic = 18 %

(Source: IRENA)

North America leads the way in green start-ups

Start-ups whose business models focus on decarbonising the economy attracted a total of 60 billion US dollars from investors between 2013 and 2019. Just 11.7 per cent of this sum went to climate technology start-ups in Europe, while companies in North America received around half of the total.

USA and Canada = 49,3 %
China = 32,9 %
Europe = 11,7 %
Asia (without China) = 3,1 %
Middle East and North Africa = 1,5 %
Latin America = 1,1 %
Australasia = 0,2 %

(Source: PWC)

Facts of renewables

91 % is the share of solar and wind energy in the new electricity capacity from -renewable energies added worldwide in 2020.

(Source: IRENA International Renewable Energy Agency)

99,99 % of global power storage capacity today is covered by pumped-storage plants.

(Source: dena)

Electromobility

1.000 terawatt hours is the anticipated demand for power from electric vehicles worldwide in 2030. This represents an elevenfold increase over 2019 levels.

(Source: IEA, Annahme Szenario nachhaltige Entwicklung)

The post Sustainable development appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

IRENA (the International Renewable Energy Agency) reports that the global capacity for sustainable, regenerative energy grew by more than 260 gigawatts over the past year. More than 80 per cent of the new electricity capacity added during that period was derived from renewable energy sources, with 91 per cent of this capacity relying on solar and wind power.

Semiconductors are a key technology in this transformation: in photovoltaic cells they generate electricity from light, and they convert energy in converters such that it can be fed into the grid with minimal losses. Semiconductors make drive systems more efficient, monitor all manner of systems integrated into the energy chain in sensors, and use the Internet of Things to link sustainable energy generation up to consumers in such a way that the supply and demand are in perfect balance.

In power electronics, semiconductors play a crucial part in converting, transmitting, and using energy more efficiently. In the view of market analysts at Yole Développement, the global market for power electronics is worth around 17.5 billion US dollars and will grow at a rate of 4.3 per cent between 2019 and 2025. Today, the largest share of the market for power components is accounted for by silicon MOSFETs, which make up 45 per cent of the total value. IGBT modules comprise the other major power electronics segment, which had a market volume of 3.7 billion US dollars in 2019.

Furthermore, energy-saving chips made of new materials like gallium nitride (GaN) or silicon carbide (SiC), which can avoid up to 90 per cent of energy losses in power conversion, are becoming more and more important. Market Study Report predicts that the global market for SiC and GaN power components will grow from around 570 million euros in 2019 to over 1.8 billion US dollars by 2025.

With new technologies like this and growing levels of investment worldwide, there is nothing to stop the years ahead from being defined as the decade of sustainable energy. However, this continues to require enormous levels of investment – yet it also offers tremendous opportunities for start-ups and established companies concerned with the efficient, sustainable generation, distribution, and use of energy. This new issue of ‘The Quintessence’ shows how varied the systems and technologies in this sector really are. Here at EBV, we use our innovative products and application-specific expertise to help our customers turn their ideas into solutions for a more sustainable future.

Yet we shouldn’t get too carried away: the share of renewable energies in the global primary energy supply is just over 13 per cent, so none of us can rest on our laurels. After all, the targets of the Paris Agreement are more than merely political goals – they are humanity’s best hope for averting catastrophe.

Thomas Staudinger
President EBV Elektronik

The post The decade of sustainable energy appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

The post Smart Cities are a mega-trend appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.

The market for AI is growing rapidly

The predicted average annual growth rate of the global market for artificial intelligence is 46.2 per cent. By 2025, the market volume is estimated to be USD 390.9 billion.

(Source: Research and Markets)

AI’s performance increses

In a year and a half, the time required to train a large image-classification system on cloud infrastructure has fallen from about three hours in October 2017 to about 88 seconds in July 2019. During the same period, the cost of training such a system has fallen similarly.

(Source: Stanford University, “The AI Index 2019 Annual Report”)

Masses of semiconductors

2018 – the year in which more than 1 trillion semiconductors were sold for the first time.

(Source: Semiconductor Industry Association, SIA)

The number of people without access to electricity is decreasing

In the year 2010 there were 1.2 billion people worldwide without access to electricity, however, the number dropped to 789 million in 2018. Because renewable energy solutions have played a crucial role in growing the number of people with access to electricity. In 2018, more than 136 million people had a basic off-grid supply of electricity from renewable energy.

(Source: International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA)

Jobs in renewables

42 million jobs in 2050: Jobs in renewables will reach 42 million globally by 2050, four times their current level, through the increased focus of investment on renewables. Energy-efficiency measures would create 21 million additional jobs, and system flexibility another 15 million.

(Source: International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA)

Research is ongoing

Over USD 1.8 trillion: Investment in research and development in the ten leading countries in 2019.

(Source: Statista)

Internet users wordwide

Today 4.1 billion people use the Internet. That amounts to 53.6 per cent of the world’s population. In 2005, this figure still stood at per cent.

(Source: International Telecommunication Union)

People’s health continues to improve

Life expectancy at birth increased worldwide from 46 years in 1950 to 67 years in 2010 and, most recently, to 73.2 years in 2020.

(Sources: The Millennium Project, UN)

The post Progress in technology 2021 appeared first on Future Markets Magazine.