Rugged Electronics Global Market Report 2024

The rugged electronics market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $12.74 billion in 2023 to $13.82 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5%. The growth observed during the historical period can be attributed to several factors, including the increased adoption of rugged devices in industrial automation, the expanded use of rugged devices in aircraft systems, the adoption of rugged devices by police forces, the utilization of ruggedized medical devices for patient monitoring, and the heightened demand for rugged electronics among outdoor enthusiasts.

The rugged electronics market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $19.28 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7%. The forecasted growth can be attributed to several factors expected in the upcoming period, including the increasing adoption of rugged IoT devices, the growing use of rugged electronics in renewable energy installations, the expansion of the rugged electronics market in security applications, the rising demand for rugged devices supporting remote work, and the integration of rugged electronics in precision agriculture. Key trends anticipated in the forecast period encompass growing military modernization programs globally, expansion in industrial automation, proliferation of IoT devices, urban infrastructure development, and increasing adoption of telemedicine.

The projected expansion of IoT technologies is set to drive the growth of the rugged electronics market in the foreseeable future. IoT technologies comprise interconnected devices that communicate and exchange data, enabling automation, monitoring, and optimization across various domains. The growth in IoT technologies is spurred by the demand for heightened efficiency, productivity, and connectivity across diverse industries and daily life. These technologies rely on rugged electronics to endure harsh environments and ensure dependable operation in challenging conditions, expanding their utility across industries like manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation. For example, a report published by Ericsson in September 2022 indicated that global IoT connections reached 13.2 billion connections in 2022 and are anticipated to rise by 18% to 34.7 billion connections by 2028. Hence, the proliferation of IoT technologies is propelling the expansion of the rugged electronics market.

Key players in the rugged electronics market are concentrating on innovating solutions, such as automotive sensors, to enhance durability and reliability for various vehicular applications. Automotive sensors are specialized devices that detect and measure parameters like temperature, pressure, vibration, and motion within vehicles, ensuring efficient and reliable operation in demanding environments. For instance, in April 2024, TREEL Mobility Solutions, an India-based provider of advanced automotive products, unveiled the rugged Tire Pressure Monitoring Solution (TPMS), lauded for its exceptional durability and capacity to withstand fluctuating pressure, excessive vibration, and varying temperatures. It caters to diverse vehicles, including two- and four-wheel vehicles, buses, light and heavy commercial vehicles, as well as off-road settings. The solution offers three options, one of which involves employing separate sensors on each tire, including the spare, to monitor pressure and temperature. These sensors utilize Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52810 SoC, featuring an Arm Cortex-M4 processor to oversee operations.

In September 2022, MilDef Inc., a Sweden-based rugged electronics manufacturer, acquired Handheld Group for $33.07 million. This strategic acquisition is aimed at broadening MilDef's product portfolio, strengthening its offerings to better address the evolving needs of customers. Handheld Group, a Sweden-based manufacturing company, provides a diverse range of rugged electronic devices, including rugged handhelds, tablets, computers, and others, designed for rugged environments.

Major companies operating in the rugged electronics market are Dell Technologies Inc., Panasonic Corporation, General Dynamics Corporation, Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, kyocera Corporation, TouchStar Technologies Ltd., Rockwell Automation Inc., Zebra Technologies Corporation, Honeywell International Inc., Trimble Inc., Leonardo DRS, Curtiss-Wright Inc., Advantech Co Ltd, Crystal Group, Kontron AG, Mercury Systems Inc, AdLink Technology Inc., DT Research Inc., Juniper Systems Inc., CipherLab Co. Ltd., General Micro Systems Inc., MobileDemand L.C., Mountain Secure Systems Inc., Getac Technology Corporation.

North America was the largest region in the rugged electronics market in 2023. It is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the rugged electronics market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the rugged electronics market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Rugged electronics encompass electronic devices and systems designed to operate reliably in challenging environments, enduring extreme temperatures, vibrations, shocks, humidity, dust, water exposure, and other harsh conditions. These durable electronics are crucial in industries and applications where robustness and resilience are critical, such as military, industrial, public safety, oil and gas sectors, among others.

The primary types of rugged electronics include rugged hardware devices, industrial computing and handheld devices, tracking devices, and others. Rugged hardware devices are specifically engineered to function in demanding environmental conditions, including extreme temperatures, water, dust, vibration, and other potential hazards. They are classified into various levels such as semi-rugged, fully-rugged, and ultra-rugged, and are distributed through various channels including direct sales, distributors, and online retailers. They are utilized by numerous end-users including mining and metal, power, chemicals, transportation, healthcare, defense, aerospace, among others.

The rugged electronics market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides rugged electronics market statistics, including rugged electronics industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a rugged electronics market share, detailed rugged electronics market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the rugged electronics industry. This rugged electronics 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 rugged electronics market consists of sales of semi-rugged devices, fully rugged devices, and ultra-rugged devices. 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.


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