Mountain View, CA--Strategies Unlimited has released its annual market research report, "The Worldwide Market for Lasers," which foresees revenue growth of 4.9% from 2012 to 2017 for the total laser market, bolstered by a double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in communications lasers revenue.
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"With many promising technology and application trends, communications lasers will require persistent reinvestment by equipment and component manufacturers," says Strategies Unlimited senior analyst Allen Nogee.
Outcomes for the laser market in 2013 were relatively mixed, given that the global economic climate is still slowly recovering from the recent recession. Sectors with thriving revenue growth were lasers used for communications, displays, sensors, medical, and marking. Already the fastest growing segment of the laser market, displays will only continue to grow in the upcoming year, as laser light shows become incorporated into more performances due to lower costs and laser-lit digital cinema projectors finally reach commercial use.
In the forecast period, Strategies Unlimited anticipates that fiber lasers will be the fastest growing laser in terms of revenue. "This is unsurprising, seeing as they are reliable, have a long life, their prices are dropping, and they are a good choice for marking and for cutting thinner metals," says Nogee.
Also expected to experience healthy growth are high-power diode lasers, which are used for increasingly popular dental and skin procedures, laser dazzlers, and high-power laser projectors.
The report offers insightful analysis and a forecast through 2017 of the laser market by laser type, application, supplier, and geographic region. New this year are the categories of Flow Cytometry, Dental Lasers, Additive Manufacturing, and CO2 lasers for Extreme UV.
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