Today's drivers expect reliable cars, offering mobility in combination with a high standard of safety and comfort. Thus automotive applications require mature and reliable technologies. From the invention of the spark plug, electric systems have always played an important role in automotive technology. With the introduction of the first automotive pressure sensors at the end of the seventies, microsystem technologies gradually developed into a key component of automotive systems. Automotive electronic systems, especially in the areas of safety, comfort, drive train and communication, are also a key element for car manufacturers to establish a brand awareness among customers and to achieve competitive advantages.
The average share of electric and electronic components in total production costs of a vehicle is likely to exceed 35% within the next ten years. A vehicle today uses between 30 and 80 microcontrollers with a considerable number of signal transmitters on board. With the next generation of automotive control systems taking advantage of advanced electronics, even more sensors will be needed.
Revenues in the automotive sensors market are expected to grow, despite of the pressure for lower prices imposed on suppliers by the car manufacturers. According to different market studies the world market