Reed Electronics Research forecasts strong growth for the Central & Eastern European electronics industry

The Central and Eastern European (CEE) electronics industry is flourishing. Backed by strong foreign investment, output rose by more than 10% in 2005, and, according to Reed Electronics Research (RER), there’s more to come…

After more than thirty years surveying the emergent trends in the worldwide electronics industry, RER is well placed to assess the state of affairs. Their latest report on electronics output in CEE is the latest in their long running series: The Yearbook of World Electronics Data. It’s a prerequisite for electronics industry managers and analysts, as well as for anyone investing in, or relocating to Central and Eastern Europe.

After double digit growth in 2005, electronics output in the CEE is set to increase further by 8.1% and 8.5% in 2006 and 2007 respectively. That works out at a projected figure of US$42 billion for 2007.

Compare that with the modest increase of 1.4% for the Western European countries in 2005. Small wonder then that the European electronics industry continues to look eastwards in an effort to reduce costs and tap into expanding markets. CEE countries now account for approximately 13% of the total European electronics production.

Other Key Findings

In fact just three CEE countries account for 73% of electronics output, and around 50% of the CEE market. With 38%, Hungary is the biggest player, with output in excess of the combined figures for the Czech Republic and Poland combined (at 21% and 14% respectively.) Russia accounts for just 7% of output.

It’s no surprise that foreign investors have seized upon the benefits of operating out of CEE. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and contract manufacturers have been quick to take advantage of the lower operating costs afforded by relocating. In the future it looks as if organisations will be even more discriminating; new Greenfield investors will look to the lower cost CEE countries such as Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia.

The computing, communications and consumer markets all benefited from inward investment too. Collectively they accounted for 78% of total electronics output in the region in 2006.

TV production continues apace and remains one of the CEE electronics industry’s big successes; there were an estimated 20.5 million sets produced in 2006.