Application Sectors - Smart Systems for Home & Entertainment

Overview

“Smart” has become an advertising slogan for all manner of consumer goods, from phones to climate controllers.

In many cases these items do indeed deliver Smart performance – such as the washing machine that varies its cycle to conserve energy and water based upon sensing the attributes of the washing loaded into it.

Profile of subsectors

In the IRISS survey 35 Smart Systems providers showed activity predominantly in consumer electronics – phones and TVs – but with significant interests in 3 other subsectors (illustrated left). An emphasis upon reducing energy use and increasing environmental responsibility will undoubtedly promote the advantages of in-built “smartness” into domestic products.

Growth prospects:Turnover

Of the Smart Systems providers surveyed, the great majority forecast employment growth, with a significant proportion of companies predicting turnover increasing by more than 50% by 2016 (illustrated left). There were no predictions of reductions in sales or budget expenditure.

Growth prospects: Whole sector

Employment prospects for the supply of Smart Systems to the Home & Entertainment sector largely mirrored the predictions for turnover growth. Public research bodies appeared cautious in their growth predictions in both finance and employment for this sector.

Three clear front-running technologies were reported by companies engaged in Home & Entertainment, respectively: Microsensors & Microactuators, MOEMS and Microfluidics, Design & Simulation. Design & Simulation was by far the top topic reported by Public research bodies. Public research is leading industry in large area sensors, multifunctional materials and Energy management & scavenging. This is a clear pointer for industry as to “what will be next”.

Drivers and barriers

The survey of 35 Smart Systems providers to the Home & Entertainment sector rated “Increased Functionality” as the most important driver compared to, in descending order, Reduced Cost, Increased Reliability, New Markets, Global Competitiveness, Simplicity in Use, and legislative drives to compel the use of new devices or techniques. The most obstructive difficulty reported was “Untried Techniques”, responses indicating also that this is of greatest concern to large organisations.