The APAC atomic clock market is expected to grow from US$ 99.85 million in 2019 to US$ 170.44 million by 2027; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2020 to 2027.
At present, most of the applications for communication, navigation, financial transactions, distributed cloud, and defense rely on the accurate timing of atomic clocks or clocks that track time based on the highest degrees of atom oscillation accuracy. New applications and technologies—such as 5G networks and GPS alternatives—need accurate timekeeping on portable platforms, which propels the demand for high performance miniaturized atomic clocks. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has invested a huge amount in the advancement and miniaturization of atomic clock technology over the past few decades, generating commercially available chip-scale atomic clocks (CSACs) and offering unprecedented timing stability in regards with size, weight, and power (SWaP). However, the physics associated with their designs limit the performance of these first-generation CSACs. For instance, timing errors can be created by calibration requirements and frequency drift that make it difficult to achieve the highest degrees of precision and reliability in a portable package. Thus, next-generation chip-scale atomic clock (CSACs)/miniaturization is anticipated to provide growth opportunities to the APAC atomic clock market during the forecast period. Also, the technical combination of optical lattices of strontium, ytterbium, and gadolinium atoms in the formation of atomic clocks is among the other factors expected to fuel the demand for atomic clocks in the coming years.
Based on application, the space and military/aerospace segment is expected to lead the APAC atomic clock market during the forecast period. All government and commercial timing equipment are based on atomic clocks, which collect the precise timing signals from GPS satellites. These GPS signals are commonly received and decoded to recover exact timing signals that are used in various high-precision equipment, such as cellular base stations. Atomic clocks are also used to calibrate multiple scientific instruments, such as high-power telescopes, and synchronize networks that make up the internet. The Excelitas Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (RAFS) is a space-qualified rubidium clock, which delivers high performance and reliability for global navigation satellite systems. The atomic clock is also used for precise positioning, timekeeping, and other onboard applications with Passive Hydrogen Maser (PHM) atomic clock. PHM is designed to operate in space for more than 12 years and offers excellent stability. It is also known as the master clock of the Galileo Navigation Satellite System and has more than 40 units already in orbit. The applications of the atomic clock in space and military/aerospace are space ground control frequency referencing, electronic warfare, communications, secure communication, and navigation.
The COVID-19 pandemic is adversely affecting APAC. APAC is one of the crucial regions for the growth of the atomic clock market due to the presence of a large number of developing countries, huge industrial presence, strong investments in space research, high defense expenditure, and favorable government policies to boost industrial growth. The high growth rate of urbanization and industrialization in developing countries of APAC is anticipated to offer lucrative opportunities to the players operating in the APAC atomic clock market as the investments in commercial, industrial, and military infrastructure development are quite high in the region. APAC is also a manufacturing and consumption hub with the presence of countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India, comprising various key sectors such as electronics, automotive, and telecom. Moreover, the increasing number of geopolitical disputes among countries such as India-China, China-Japan, and South Korea-North Korea is further driving the demand for atomic clock systems in the aerospace and defense sectors. However, the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak is disrupting the growth of various sectors across the region. The restrictions on the supply of raw materials and components in China and other Asian countries are restraining the growth of the APAC atomic clock market, and it is likely to continue in 2021.
The overall APAC atomic clock market size has been derived using both primary and secondary sources. To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the market. The process also serves the purpose of obtaining an overview and forecast for the APAC atomic clock market with respect to all the segments pertaining to the region. Also, multiple primary interviews have been conducted with industry participants and commentators to validate the data, as well as to gain more analytical insights into the topic. The participants of this process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers, along with external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders, specializing in the APAC atomic clock market. Excelitas Technologies Corp., Leonardo S.p.A., Microchip Technology Inc, Oscilloquartz, Stanford Research Systems, and Tekron International are a few players operating in the market.