PCB Design Software Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Deployment (Cloud and On-premise), By Application (Computer & Consumer Electronics, Telecommunication Equipment, Medical Devices, Industrial Equipment, Automotive Components, Others (Aerospace & Defense, Safety and Security Equipment)), and Regional Forecast, 2023-2030

The PCB design software market size was valued at USD 2.86 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 3.24 billion in 2023 to USD 8.52 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 14.8%. North America dominated the global market with a share of 33.57% in 2022.

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design software brings mechanical support and electronic components to life by designing electronic circuits. The PCB design method assists electrical engineers in designing printed circuit board layouts. It uses the layout software for combining component routing and placement to describe electrical connections on a manufactured circuit board and validate circuit graphic designs. PCB design software is frequently used as a part of other design software systems, such as machine and product design software and all-purpose CAD software.

The PCB design software is also combined with other related software, such as Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), which assists engineers in understanding the designs and layouts of PCBs better. Integrating embedded intelligence systems, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), in PCB design software is driving market growth by creating opportunities in automotive, electronics, medical, communication systems, and other sectors.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Increased Adoption of Cloud-based Software amid COVID-19 Pandemic Strengthened Market Growth

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted PCB manufacturing companies due to lockdowns imposed by governments around the globe. The semiconductor industry was affected by the outbreak due to less demand for electronic products and reduced manufacturing processes, hindering the PCB design software market growth for a short period.

However, the demand for PCBs grew in the medical & healthcare sector due to the high usage of medical equipment during the pandemic. Organizations deployed cloud-based solutions to ensure business continuity during the crisis. For instance,

• In December 2022, German startup Celus announced the design flow for circuit and PCB development with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), aiming to revolutionize the electronics industry.

Such a robust increase in the adoption of cloud services for digitalization amid the COVID-19 pandemic boosted the software demand.

LATEST TRENDS

Integration of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in PCB Design Software to Act as a Key Trend

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software manages information and processes across global supply chains at every stage of a product or service lifecycle. It includes data from items, products, parts, requirements, documents, quality workflows, and engineering change orders.

Integrating PLM software in circuit design creates a top-down design with better visibility in the electronics and semiconductor sectors. Product lifecycle management in PCB design creates continuous innovation in the circuits' designs with new components as new technology becomes available. PLM software functions in PCB design by documenting design data so that manufacturing can reach it quickly.

PLM software facilitates timely and stable documentation by making it easy to track design revisions and begin new product manufacturing. The software also offers engineers a complete idea through simulation regarding how the product will perform in different conditions.

These factors are expected to bolster market progress during the forecast period.

DRIVING FACTORS

Increasing Need to Minimize Errors and Innovations in PCB Design Software to Drive Market Growth

The software is being increasingly developed in the electronics industry to create circuit board designs to manage time and reduce errors encountered during product development. The software can improve the production rate and scalable integration for complex circuit designs. Moreover, as technology advances, the size of PCBs reduces, due to which many leading players focus on developing advanced PCBs to create competitive advantages.

The adoption of design software also gives engineers the flexibility of simulating the current design and knowing the issues beforehand on a real-time basis. Thus, this software offers access to auto-placement, auto-routing, and auto-tuning, making PCB fabrication a relatively seamless process.

Cost analysis is a major factor for engineers, and with the help of design software, engineers can estimate the total cost of designing a circuit. This promotes better planning and aids in decision-making on the quality of materials used and the price of several components. Therefore, the PCB design software market share is growing due to its wide-ranging applications in medical, consumer electronics, automotive, and military industries.

Thus, the aforementioned factors act as driving forces for the market's growth.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

Availability of Open-source Software to Hamper the Market 

Professionals are more reliant on open-source software as it is available on the internet for free. In addition, the availability of pirated copies creates the risk of vulnerabilities in components and third-party vendors. The growth of third-party vendors threatens to undermine the security of enterprise applications. For instance,

• November 2021: According to a Forrester survey of 530 security decision-makers, 33% of breaches come from a third-party service or software, while another third of external attacks, which amounts to 35%, are carried out by exploiting a vulnerability, thus causing the data to be exploited through various sources.

These aspects will restrict the market growth over the coming years.

SEGMENTATION

By Deployment Analysis

Adoption of Cloud Deployment to Fuel Market Growth due to Changing Approach of PCB Design

By deployment, the market is bifurcated into cloud and on-premise.

Cloud software is expected to register a major growth rate during the forecast period. Cloud computing is changing the approach to PCB design. The adoption of cloud-based solutions in this software continues to evolve as companies focus on increasing productivity and shortening design cycles, thereby allowing engineers to work from anywhere and helping design teams reduce miscommunication, redesign iterations, and time to market. For instance,

• In November 2022, KLA Corporation launched Frontline Cloud Services. This software solution increases time-to-market (TTM) and design-for-manufacturability (DFM) analysis and reduces IT bottlenecks for reducing the analysis time for multifaceted printed circuit boards.

These factors are expected to create growth opportunities for the global market.

By Application Analysis

Computer & Consumer Electronics to Accelerate Market Growth due to Increasing Production of Consumer Electronics

By application, the market is divided into computer & consumer electronics, telecommunication equipment, medical devices, industrial equipment, automotive components, and others (aerospace & defense, safety and security equipment).

The computer & consumer electronics segment is estimated to record a CAGR of 15.3% during the forecast period. With the increasing production of consumer electronics and computer products, the demand for printed circuit boards has increased significantly, and various manufacturers have developed electronic devices with better features and capabilities to better serve customers. Thus, PCB design software vendors continue to reap significant profits from the consumer electronics industry. Additionally, advancements in applications vary widely due to the size, shape, and functions of consumer electronics, leading to more developments in PCB design. These factors will expand the market share.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

This market is studied across regions such as North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific.

As per the analysis, North America captured a major market share owing to the presence of key market players in the region due to early tech-driven innovations and a rising preference for high-speed analog circuits across multiple industries.

Governments are investing in semiconductor manufacturing companies to boost global competitiveness. The U.S. introduced the CHIP Act, which will revitalize the country’s chip-making ecosystem across a wide range of technologies, ranging from current-generation chips to large-scale projects. Various semiconductor companies have announced multiple projects to increase their manufacturing capacity in the U.S. and expand the domestic semiconductor value chain, leading to robust demand for PCB design software.

Europe is expected to gain a prominent market share due to significant investments and developments in PCB manufacturing. The regional PCB market is growing rapidly as companies are trying to improve and deliver high-quality services. They also design and manufacture high-end PCB prototypes for various fields, such as aviation, measurement technology, and medicine.

The Asia Pacific PCB design software market is projected to show exponential growth as major manufacturing companies are adopting PCB design software in developing countries, such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India. China is enhancing the service by adding features, such as 3D visualization, data management, and high-speed design capabilities, to simplify the process of circuit design software. Furthermore, the growing functionality of smartphones and rising usage of electronic equipment in transportation are expected to support the market growth.

PCB has become a popular technology in industries across Dubai, such as manufacturing due to its commercial benefits including cost reduction and dependability, which will drive the Middle East & Africa market. Similarly, the South American market is growing steadily due to significant growth in the production of consumer electronics, which will spur the demand for PCBs.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Market Players to Adopt Merger & Acquisition Strategies to Expand their Operations

The top players operating in the global market are focusing on expanding their global presence and market share through mergers and acquisitions. These companies are aiming to acquire small and local firms to expand their business presence. Additionally, our report provides comprehensive market information that vendors can utilize to gain a competitive edge during the forecast period. Therefore, many businesses are forming mergers & acquisitions, partnership & collaboration strategies to enable market growth.

List of Key Companies Profiled:

• Altium Limited (U.S.)


• ANSYS, Inc. (U.S.)


• NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORP (U.S.)


• Autodesk Inc. (U.S.)


• DOWNSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES, LLC (U.S.)


• Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (U.S.)


• KiCad (U.S.)


• Siemens (Germany)


• EasyEDA (China)


• Novarm Limited (Dip Trace) (U.S.)


• Ucamco (Belgium)


• Zuken (Japan)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• December 2022: Catapult Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) collaborated with Zuken to introduce a power component layout from a graphical model to a 3D model. Catapult and Zuken's multi-board System PCB design will allow designers to co-develop and co-design PCB software with the ability to design mechanical and electrical components in unison.


• July 2022: Cadence Design Systems announced its acquisition of Future Facilities, an energy performance optimization solution provider and electronics cooling analysis. The adoption of Future Facilities’ technologies will support Cadence's Intelligent System to strategize and enable companies to make business decisions about data center design, including specific chips to PCBs and operations.


• June 2022: Siemens Digital Industries launched Siemens NX software, a product engineering solution that brings greater collaboration, electronic co-design, and intelligence capture. Siemens NX extended its electronic design capabilities with a smooth workflow for rigid-flex and rigid PCB designs.


• January 2022: Altair, a technology company specializing in computational intelligence and engineering, launched a software tool called Altair PollEx, an electronic system design software tool built for Altium users that allows PCB designers to forecast and improve overall PCB performance and validate manufacturability.


• November 2020: Downstream announced new versions of PCB post-processing solutions BluePrint-PCB and CAM350 V. With these launches, both products will support the import and conception of CAD designs containing Rigid Flex, Flex, and Embedded component data in both 3D and 2D views.

REPORT COVERAGE

The market research report provides a detailed market analysis. It concentrates on key aspects such as leading business software and services applications. Moreover, the report highlights the latest market trends and key industry developments. Additionally, the report comprises numerous factors that have contributed to the growth of the market in recent years.

REPORT SCOPE & SEGMENTATION