One of the primary factors driving the global automotive active seat head rests (ASHR) market is the rising incidences of whiplash-related injuries, especially in first world countries. Automotive insurance companies are taking notice of the trend, thereby pioneering the work on ASHR globally.There has been no lack of the regulatory push for ASHR in comparison with several safety-related advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which have waited for years to get approval from regulatory bodies.In this report, Technavio covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global ASHR market for 2016-2020. To calculate the size of the market, we have considered a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches, wherein our inhouse databases have been used to arrive at the global ASHR market size.

The automobile suspension system dates back to the beginning of 19th century when automobiles were invented. That time, internal combustion engine-powered vehicles were in the embryo stage, and two innovations were made to form the vehicle's suspension system. For the first time, front coil springs were used along with dampeners that acted as shock absorbers for minimizing vibrations in vehicles. Later, suspension systems saw the use of new setup with leaf springs, which were less costly and flexible in terms of changing shape so as to accommodate varying weights. This system was initially used by European automakers.

With the growing inclination to stay connected, technological upgrades like the installation of touchscreen systems that allow smartphone integration will experience a steady rise in the automotive industry.Rising demand for better sound quality, design, flexibility, and price advantage will drive consumers to look for aftermarket products like touchscreen infotainment systems.Car accessories with technological breakthroughs like touchscreen systems with smartphone integration are increasingly becoming a major consideration influencing purchasing decision of vehicles.The growth rate for aftermarket touchscreen systems will decline as more and more vehicles will be introduced with touchscreen infotainment system as a standard originial equipment manufacturer (OEM) fitment, since there has been a surge in the inclusion of touchscreen as a differentiating feature by the majority of the OEMs.The penetration of the aftermarket for touchscreen infotainment system is more in Asia-Pacific (APAC) compared with matured economies as fewer vehicles are equipped with standard OEM fitted touchscreen infotainment systems.The global aftermarket for touchscreen infotainment system is predominantly occupied by the mid-size screen segment because of the ease of using the system to navigate the menu and apps installed in the system due to increased screen size and better resolution.

The automotive segment is a key application area for aerogels and accounted for a 4.9% share of the global aerogel market in 2015. The segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 28.06% during the forecast period. The demand for aerogels is growing from the automotive segment owing to their unique properties like excellent thermal resistance, enhanced acoustic insulation, light weight, reduced thickness, and fire and water resistance.In terms of form, the blanket form is the largest segment of the market. It was the first form of aerogels that was commercialized for end-use applications.In terms of application, the oil and gas segment dominated the market in 2015 with a share of 68.5%. Reduced thickness and superior insulation properties of aerogels are of prime importance for the oil and gas industry. The demand for aerogels is high for oil and gas applications as this industry is more temperature-sensitive, and employs the transportation of unprocessed hydrocarbons over long distances.North America is the largest region in terms of consumption of aerogel materials, and had a 51.2% share of the market in 2015. Globally, the region is leading the global aerogel market with respect to product innovation, and in terms of quality and application development. The North American aerogel market is largely driven by the oil and gas segment, where the demand for advanced solutions that combine reduced thickness and superior insulating properties with low thermal conductivity is high.

The major demand for electric wire and cable in India is likely to increase from the railways and construction sectors due to rising government investment. For instance, Government of India (GOI) has allocated a budget of $17.94 billion (2016-2017) for the development of Indian Railways and also targets to develop 100 smart cities in India.The organized sector is expected to account for maximum market share and is likely to increase during the forecast period due to increased demand for highquality wire and cable.The unorganized sector accounts for the maximum market share in the building wire and cable sector. Increased awareness about the quality of wire and cables is expected to decrease the market share of the sector.

In the automotive industry, there is a constant revision and upgrading of technology to increase fuel efficiency in powertrains and reduce vehicular emissions to comply with stringent emission rules. The introduction of electric coolant pumps is a step in this direction. Conventional water pumps used for cooling IC engines are mechanical water pumps, which are belt-power driven and takes rotational energy from the engine. An impeller is installed in the engine, which sends the coolant to the various components of the engine to absorb the heat. Since the water pump is driven by the speed of the engine, it affects either the power of the vehicle or the fuel economy. Moreover, as soon as the engine stops, the flow of the coolant to the different heated components also stops and is no longer able to absorb the heat.

The global torque sensor market is largely driven by the automotive industry, as torque sensors are widely used in various automobile components for torque measurement. Rising demand for high-performance vehicles, adoption of conditional maintenance systems, penetration of electric power assisted steering (EPAS) systems, and increasing focus on automotive safety and testing are some of the major factors that drive the growth of the global torque sensor market in the automotive industry. High-capacity torque sensors with a capacity of more than 1000 Nm will be the fastest growing capacity segment in the global torque sensor market during the forecast period. Compliance with machine safety regulations worldwide is a major challenge for torque sensor manufacturers, along with the high cost of manufacturing of these sensors. The growing technological advances across industries and increasing penetration of industrial automation and robotics have generated the need for wireless compatibility in torque sensors. Torque sensor manufacturers across the globe are focusing on the development of new and innovative products to increase their market footprint and to penetrate into newer applications across industries.

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.

An ultracapacitor is an energy storage device that stores energy through an electric field, whereas a battery stores and generates energy through a chemical reaction. Ultracapacitors can store higher charge quantity than batteries as they conduct electricity through an electric field, making them ideal for applications requiring high electric current and voltage. An ultracapacitor has two electrodes: one positive and one negative. These electrodes are coated with activated carbon, a sponge-like substrate that is porous in nature. The electrode is dipped in an electrolyte consisting of positive and negative ions. When a voltage is applied to the electrode, oppositely charged ions start moving toward the electrode and accumulate at its surface. This movement of oppositely charged ions creates an electric field that helps in storing energy. The electrodes used in ultracapacitors have two charged coating on their surface, thus it is also called double layer capacitor.

The global four-wheeler industry is two faced, where one segment is of passenger cars considered for the personal use, and the other is for commercial use, CVs. Both these segments operate under contrast market dynamics with different customer behavior and value chain. The passenger cars segment is seeing steady growth owing to growing preference for the personal vehicle by families and individuals worldwide. On the contrary, the CV segment is seeing healthy growth rate due to high volumes contributed by countries such as the US and China. This is attributed to high volumes of road transport logistics and international long distance consignments. The key reasons for such growth are the high load barring capacity and comfort of these advanced vehicles. The global four-wheeler industry is highly capital intensive industry, and is poised with many technological innovations. We expect the global four-wheeler market to grow at a CAGR of 3.41% during the forecast period.