The invention of submarines has revolutionized the naval warfare. Submarine batteries are vital for the safety and operational effectiveness of the watercraft's power system. Countries, such as the US, Russia, China, Japan, and India, are investing heavily in the procurement and development of submarines to strengthen the respective countries' sea border security and to gather intelligence. The lead-acid battery (LAB) technology has a history of more than 100 years.However, latest R&D activities on lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are undertaken to make them safer and cost effective when adopted as a power source in submarines.In this report, Technavio covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global submarine battery market 2016-2020.

The adoption of streaming media devices is increasing because of the growing popularity of over-the-top (OTT) video services such as Netflix and Hulu.By the end of the forecast period, the popularity of new technologies such as virtual reality is expected to increase in the connected device segment.In terms of unit shipment, smart TVs captured nearly 75% of the market in 2015.The increasing willingness of people to upgrade their existing TV sets is likely to help the market grow by the end of the forecast period.The growing demand for video streaming is expected to impact the cable TV station market. To remain prominent in the market, TV stations are gradually starting to provide online channels.

Imbalance between demand and supply resulting in gap: Less capacity utilization ratio.With steel supply overtaking demand, the capacity utilization ratio has declined to~65% in 2015 from 71% in 2014. Over the past decade, the steel industry has been investing in capacity expansion at a rapid pace because of reasons such as the availability of relatively attractive interest rates for new investments, low production costs, and an open international market.Declining price across streams: Hits profit margins.The iron ore prices declined by almost 69% from January 2014 ($128 per metric ton) to December 2015 ($39 per metric ton). Ferrochrome prices were $1 per pound in January 2015 and reached $0.81 per pound by the end of the year. Thus,the decline in raw material prices has led to a decline in stainless steel prices.Turkey: A bright spot.The Turkish stainless steel market been outperforming other major markets since 2000. The demand increased by 135,000 metric tons in five years (2000-2005) and by 220,000 metric tons in ten years (2005-2015), reaching 450,000 tons in 2015.Turkey grew at a CAGR of about 10% from 2005-2015.In this report, Technavio covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global stainless steel market for 2016-2020. The report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the top five vendors operating in the market.

Low-cost cross-border service delivery is opening up sports betting markets, which were previously protected by state-regulated monopolies or dominant local operators.The easy accessibility to new gambling distribution methods such as the Internet and mobile phones has resulted in the formation of new groups of customers of all age groups.With innovation in technology and improving broadband penetration, new entertainment services like live betting are becoming popular.The growth in the number of televised sports events and increasing global interest in high-profile football and poker tournaments are increasing the passion for sports among the viewers, leading to an increase in the demand for betting.

The global soil moisture sensor market will grow at a CAGR of 14.56% during the forecast period.In terms of application, the agriculture was the largest segment in the market in 2015. This trend will continue during the forecast period as the governments of developed countries such as the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, and Australia,where advanced soil harnessing technologies are being employed, try to create more awareness about these technologies.A new development in the market was the launch of soil moisture mapping satellite by NASA in 2015. This satellite helps create accurate soil moisture maps and improve climate and weather forecasts. It also allows scientists to monitor droughts and predict flooding caused by severe rainfall or snowmelt to forecast crop yields.

The global smoke grenade market is expected to witness significant transformation due to the growing demand for smoke grenades and associated smoking agents from the commercial segment. It is also anticipated that the commercial and civil segment will post a CAGR of 6.71% during the forecast period.The increased use of joint light tactical vehicles (JLTVs) in riot and unrest control operations will help defense and law enforcement agencies employ smoke grenades as a crowd dispersion measure. As such vehicles are integrated with

multiple smoke grenade launchers, this will also have a positive impact on the growth of the market during the forecast period.The emergence of eco-friendly agents in the manufacture of smoke grenades will reduce the risk of toxic contamination. There are also ongoing investments in many countries to determine effective smoke screening compositions that are less hazardous.APAC is expected to have the highest growth rate with a CAGR of 7.26% during the forecast period. The growing investment in the military of many major countries in the region and the increasing militarization of the police force to control civil unrest will propel the market during the forecast period.

Growing emphasis on healthy lifestyle is increasing the demand for wearable lifestyle devices among consumers, driving market growth. The market is characterized by the presence of a large number of low-cost affordable smart wearable lifestyle devices.Basic fitness tracking bands are being increasingly replaced by smart watches with an incredible list of features.Smartphone penetration continues to provide increased adoption of smart wearable lifestyle and fitness devices and services.Smart wearable lifestyle devices are provided with the option of choosing valueadded services with basic connectivity and flexibility of payment giving rise to its enhanced popularity.

The global smart textiles market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24.6% during the forecast period, owing to an increase in demand from end-user industries like military and protection, architecture, sports and fitness, transportation, fashion and entertainment, and medical.The growing demand for and popularity of smart textiles can be attributed to the advanced functionalities of these products, owing to the integration of electronic components into advanced fibers and conductive materials to be used in diverse industries. These textiles can react to thermal, mechanical, chemical, and magnetic stimuli.North America is anticipated to hold the majority of the market's share by 2020. The region is expected to grow significantly due to increasing demand from end-user markets, like healthcare and transportation. In addition, APAC is expected to be the fastest-growing market for smart textiles due to low production costs and increasing R&D activities that are sponsored by the European Union's funding programs.

The advanced education system has led to an interactive curriculum, enhanced teaching delivery, and effective learning models. Creativity and innovative thinking among students have become a mandate to sustain in the current dynamic competitive environment. Educational institutions worldwide are also incorporating international learning models and standards to improve the quality of education.Digital classroom vendors have been continuously developing and improving the education system with devices, such as interactive displays, tablets, adaptive devices, and various other types of software used for imparting digital interactive

content used for educational purposes.The technological landscape pertaining to smart education software solutions is changing dynamically. These solutions are highly compatible as they can be easily installed either through cloud or on local servers of schools. It facilitates virtual campuses, therefore, making it easy for any school, which is ushering into online education. Moreover, these software modules can be accessed and used via tablets and mobile devices. However, the only significant drawback, which can suppress this market growth, is the lack of skilled resources to execute these activities in schools and colleges.

The growth of m-commerce and e-commerce have accelerated the demand for secure payment options and improved the demand for smart cards. Loyalty cards offered by retail stores contain the information of customers and points earned by them through purchases. All such factors are expected to drive the market during the forecast period.The rising number of fraudulent transactions every year is increasing the need for secure payments worldwide. The adoption of Europay, MasterCard, and Visa (EMV) cards and EMV point-of-sale (POS) terminals is increasing worldwide,eliminating the risk of fraudulent transactions.The concept of EMV is a combined effort from Europay, MasterCard, and Visa to enhance the security of financial transactions and improve payment standards.Merchants and consumers in the US are gradually adopting EMV chip technology.The chip-enabled smart cards offer improved security by generating a unique onetime

code for the approval of a transaction.An increase in e-commerce transactions has increased the adoption of smart EMV cards as these cards allow safe online transactions. Chip and PIN EMV cards are replacing magnetic swipe cards in the payment card segment. European countries are early adopters of EMV payment cards because of liability shift. They are followed by APAC and American countries where the user base of EMV payment cards is increasing.