Dedham, MA— Despite the recent global economic tailspin, the overall future of automation products serving the discrete industries looks bright over a five-year period, according to ARC Advisory Group. The total automation business to the world's discrete industries is expected to grow at a 6.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years, surpassing $30 billion in 2007, according to ARC's latest study, "Total Automation Business for the Discrete Industries Worldwide Outlook."

"There are still many pockets of reliable growth in the discrete automation business. Industries such as building automation, electronics and semiconductor, automotive, and plastics machinery will continue to perform well," says Himanshu Shah, ARC's senior analyst and principal author of the study.

The study found several factors that will drive growth in the discrete industries. For instance, the average performance for manufacturing plants across many industries can be raised to a much higher level using better controls. Effective use of modern automation technology presents a major opportunity for manufacturers to increase productivity and reduce costs to stay competitive. Consequently, this also becomes a growth opportunity for discrete automation products.

Likewise, continuous advances in semiconductor and electronic products will likely fuel revenue growth for automation products. Additionally, automotive manufacturers, facing fierce global competition, will expand adoption of advanced automation technologies in more areas to reduce unit cost and increase quality.