Cloud-based platforms to drive factory simulation software to 172,000 users by 2030

The market for factory simulation software products will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11% to reach US$4.1 billion for over 172,000 users in 2030. According to global tech market advisory firm ABI Research, these sales include software that uses computer modeling to analyze how production might work in any given factory or situation and implement virtual commissioning to test proposed changes and upgrades before they are put into effect.

“Today, many manufacturing enterprises have started to use simulation software, but most have not yet realized the added benefits of using simulation software as part of a larger smart manufacturing platform or to virtually test other new technologies,” said Nick Finill, Principal Analyst at ABI Research. “Cloud-based platforms can provide a similar interface for simulations from the different points of view of process engineers, operations support managers, plant engineers, and control engineers. Companies can assign user roles so that engineers only see and modify the details and information that they need for their job or level of expertise, and engineers in different locations can work on different parts of the same model. This increases data security, speeds up the simulation process, and makes the product easier to use.”

Vendors that provide or partner with larger smart manufacturing platforms control the largest chunks of the market share. In discrete industries, this means Dassault Systèmes with its 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Siemens with its Digital Industries portfolio and Rockwell Automation with Arena and its partnership with PTC control most of the market. In process industries, AVEVA, AspenTech, and Siemens control most of the market.

The automotive industry represents the largest opportunity globally, with US$1.8 billion in factory simulation software revenues forecasted for 2030. In fact, automotive represents the largest opportunity in every country except for South Korea, where electronics manufacturing has a slight edge.

“Automotive manufacturing leads the way for many transformative technologies and therefore has a higher demand to simulate those technologies. It also has an edge on most industries in sheer size and organizational transformation, with more holistic solution deployments due to cross-functional technology transformation teams. Vendors of factory simulation software and larger platforms specifically target these teams for growth opportunities,” concludes Finill.

These findings are from ABI Research’s Industrial Virtualization, Visualization, and Simulation Market Tracker market data report. This report is part of the company’s Industrial Solution, which will help manufacturers digitize operations to create better quality products at lower costs. Market Data spreadsheets are composed of deep data, market share analysis, and highly segmented, service-specific forecasts to provide detailed insight where opportunities lie.