Compiled ByTraci Purdum According to a recent study by ARC Advisory Group, the automation market for process industries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (known as the EMA region) will exceed $22 billion by 2007. "Process manufacturers are under competitive pressures to cut costs and enhance efficiencies," says Himanshu Shah, co-author of the study "Total Automation Business for Process Industries EMA Outlook." "They are responding by improving their supply chain, reducing energy costs and achieving efficiencies in other areas. Suppliers who are working closely with their customers to deliver automation solutions that address these unfulfilled needs will succeed in the long term." Some of the strategic findings of the study, which is available for purchase, include:
- Manufacturers in the EMA region will upgrade and invest more in automation solutions to achieve operational excellence.
- Manufacturers in the EMA region will leverage automation technologies extensively and integrate their plant level systems with enterprise systems.
- A significant portion of investments will take place in legacy system migrations.
- Growth in the process automation market will be driven by software and third-party services.
- Central and Eastern European economies present most growth opportunities.
