Industry group to debate MEMS growth in post recession economy

At the upcoming Globalpress Electronics Summit panel, 'MEMS is Hot', Analog Devices, Applied Materials, Bosch Sensortec, Coventor and Kionix will explore the reasons why MEMS is growing so rapidly in a wide range of established and emerging markets. According to the industry group members, growth has been spurred by high volume manufacturing enabled by more abundant and efficient design tools and processes. With an overall MEMS market expected to grow and being deployed in hundreds of millions of high-volume consumer applications, market analyst iSuppli predicts a 7.6% CAGR in these markets through 2013. Karen Lightman, managing director of MEMS Industry Group (MIG), the industry organisation co-hosting the MEMS panel with Globalpress, said: "Until recently, accelerometers and gravitational sensors have comprised the bulk of MEMS deployments, including airbag triggers in automotive safety systems and read/write head retractors in portable hard disk drives. "The use of motion sensors as swing simulators in gaming peripherals like the Nintendo Wii is a consequence of the new high volume manufacturing capability of the MEMS industry, and marks a new era in consumer understanding and acceptance of MEMS technology. I am very pleased that for a second year in a row, MIG has helped to bring a MEMS panel that explores MEMS' economic power and potential to the Globalpress Electronics Summit." The panel, 'MEMS is Hot: How MEMS is Fueling Growth in the Post Recession Economy', will be held April 27, 2010 from 9:15 – 10:30 a.m. at the Globalpress Electronics Summit. Stephan Ohr, director of research, analog semiconductors and power management devices, Gartner, will moderate the panel. The Globalpress Electronics Summit takes place April 26-29, 2010 at the Chaminade Resort, Santa Cruz, CA.