Korean Companies Expected to Lead Global Market
Major camera module companies such as LG Innotek and Samsung Electro-Mechanics have turned their eyes from smartphones to automobiles. Self-driving cars require far more camera modules than smartphones. Expectations are rising that Korean companies may be able to dominate the automotive module market as they did the DRAM market.
LG Innotek is in talks with Tesla, the world’s No. 1 electric vehicle (EV) maker, for the supply of camera modules worth 1 trillion won (US$1 billion).
Samsung Electro-Mechanics was reportedly chosen by Tesla as the supplier of camera modules for its electric trucks. The value of the contract is not known, but is said to be the largest ever for a single camera module order.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics and LG Innotek are quickly shifting their focus to the automotive market as the smartphone market has entered a stagnant period.
The IT camera module market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.2 percent from US$21.9 billion this year to US$23.3 billion in 2027. On the other hand, the size of the automotive camera module market is expected to grow from US$4.3 billion this year to US$8.9 billion in 2027. This means that the market will enjoy an average annual growth rate of 15.7 percent.
The advancement of autonomous driving is also expanding the growth potential of the automotive camera module market. Experts say that seven to eight cameras are required for a vehicle of autonomous driving Level 2. Level 3 autonomous vehicles typically require 12 or more cameras. In the case of Level 5, the level of full autonomous driving, around 15 cameras will be required per vehicle, they say. In addition, the module price is four to five times higher than that of a smartphone camera, which costs US$8-10 per unit.
Korean companies are expected to continue to fare well in the automotive camera module market for the time being. In 2021, LG Innotek recorded a 25.8 percent share in the global camera module market. Samsung Electro-Mechanics and LG Innotek possess the whole gamut of ultra-precise hardware technologies required for camera module production, ranging from lens design and molding to autofocus and optical image stabilization.