Simulators Market Report 2025

The simulators market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $22.59 billion in 2024 to $23.77 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growth in augmented reality (ar) integration, automotive and aviation training, military and defense applications, expansion of healthcare simulation, simulated environments for industrial training.

The simulators market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $30.9 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to focus on personalized learning, market expansion into diverse sectors, customization and adaptability, rise in educational simulated environments, industrial and machinery simulation. Major trends in the forecast period include virtual reality (vr) advancements, augmented reality (ar) integration, increased adoption of gamification, remote training solutions, healthcare simulation.

The rising need for pilots in the aviation sector is anticipated to boost the growth of the simulator market in the coming years. Pilots are the trained professionals responsible for flying aircraft to transport passengers and cargo, among other aviation-related tasks. Simulators play a crucial role in pilot training within the industry, allowing pilots to hone their skills and gain experience in a realistic yet controlled setting, which helps mitigate actual safety risks for both trainees and instructors. This controlled environment enables pilots to practice troubleshooting procedures and learn from their errors safely. For example, a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a U.S. government agency, projected that employment for airline and commercial pilots will grow by 5% from 2023 to 2033. Thus, the increasing demand for pilots in the aviation sector is propelling the growth of the simulator market.

The sustained expansion in global air traffic is poised to further fuel the simulator market's growth in the coming years. Air traffic encompasses the movement of aircraft within airspace, encompassing a wide spectrum of aviation activities ranging from private and recreational flights to cargo and commercial operations. Simulators play a pivotal role in enhancing safety, optimizing efficiency, and equipping aviation personnel with the requisite skills by providing a realistic and risk-mitigated environment for training, testing, and research. For instance, according to data from the International Air Transport Association in October 2023, Asia-Pacific airlines witnessed a 98.5% surge in traffic in August 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, solidifying their dominance in the region. Concurrently, the load factor increased by 5.5% to 84.2%, and capacity saw an 85.5% expansion. In light of these developments, the sustained growth in air traffic emerges as a significant driver propelling the simulator market forward.

Key companies in the simulator market are concentrating on creating advanced products, such as mining simulators, to improve training, enhance safety, and boost efficiency for operators in the mining sector. A mining simulator is a specialized training device that mimics real mining environments and equipment, enabling operators to practice and refine their skills in a safe and controlled environment. For example, in September 2024, Immersive Technologies, a mining company based in Australia, introduced the Immersive Technologies IM360+. This state-of-the-art underground mining simulator features cutting-edge stereoscopic 3D graphics and RealView head tracking technology. It is designed to provide maximum training effectiveness and safety, allowing operators to develop their skills in a realistic and immersive setting.

Strategic partnerships represent another prominent approach adopted by major companies in the simulator market to expedite the digital transformation within the automobile industry. An illustrative instance is the partnership announced in October 2023 between VI-grade GmbH, a Germany-based provider of solutions for simulation-driven vehicle development, and JEDAi, a Spain-based consulting firm specializing in the digital transformation of advanced automobiles. This collaboration aims to facilitate rapid digital transformation, innovative process formulation and execution, people empowerment, and capitalization to enhance added value at all stages of development. JEDAi will offer implementation guidance for virtual engineering workflows, driver coaching, and onboarding related to driving simulator technology. The collaboration also involves leveraging digital twin procedures, utilizing reliable virtual automobile and tire models, and incorporating data intelligence services, such as neural networks and artificial intelligence, to ensure optimal performance.

In January 2024, Serious Industrial Motion Simulators Inc. (SIMS), a Canada-based equity-backed firm, acquired the Industrial VR Simulator Business Division from Serious Labs for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition is intended to transfer the assets and business operations of the industrial VR simulator from Serious Labs to SIMS. Serious Labs is a Canadian company that focuses on developing virtual reality (VR) training solutions.

Major companies operating in the simulators market include CAE Inc., The Boeing Company, FlightSafety Inc., Thales Group, Airbus SAS, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, SimScale GmbH, Frasca International Inc., Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, Saab AB, Tecknotrove Systems Pvt. Ltd., Indra Sistemas S.A, Elbit Systems Ltd., Northrop Grumman Corporation, BAE Systems plc, Dassault Systèmes SE, The AnyLogic Company, Simulations Plus Inc., Materialise NV, HAVELSAN A.S, Emerson Electric Co., Siemens AG, Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Autodesk Inc., Ansys Inc., Altair Engineering Inc., The MathWorks Inc., Cybernet Systems Corp., Bentley Systems Incorporated, PTC Inc., CPFD Software LLC, Design Simulation Technologies Inc., Synopsys Inc., Simio LLC, Lanner Group Ltd., SIMUL8 Corporation, CONSELF Srl, SolidWorks Corporation.

North America was the dominating region in the simulators market in 2024. The regions covered in the simulators market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the simulators market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Simulators, both in the form of computer programs and physical devices, serve as invaluable tools for modeling and analyzing the behavior of various systems or processes. They provide users with a controlled and secure environment to study, test, and predict system behavior, fostering critical thinking and active engagement.

There are several types of simulators catering to diverse industries, including full mission bridge simulators, full flight simulators, driving simulators, fixed-based simulators, flight training devices, vessel traffic control simulators, land forces training simulators, full mission flight simulators, and air traffic control simulators. Full mission bridge simulators, for example, replicate the physical aspects and controls of a ship's wheelhouse or bridge, serving the training and assessment needs of seafarers. These simulators are also instrumental in the research and development of ports, waterways, and vessels. Simulators utilize various techniques such as live, virtual, game-based, and constructive across different platforms such as airborne, land, and maritime. They find applications in training, research and development, and vehicle assistance across a wide array of industries, including aerospace and defense, manufacturing, oil and gas, healthcare, automotive, electrical and electronics, among others.

The simulators market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides simulators market statistics, including simulators industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a simulators market share, detailed simulators market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the simulators industry. This simulators market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The simulator market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing embedded (on-site) engineering, methods development, process development, process automation, design exploration and optimization, material calibration, realistic rendering, forensic analysis, project engineering. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

This product will be delivered within 3-5 business days.