Contract manufacturing set to triple

The worldwide contract electronics manufacturing market, which reached $30.8 billion in 1996, is expected to triple to $101 billion by 2001, according to a new study from Electronic Trend Publications in San Jose, Calif. During the five years from 1996 to 2001, contract manufacturing as a share of the total OEM available market is also expected to double from 7.5 percent to 14.5 percent, the study indicates. Contract manufacturers will continue to branch out from printed circuit board manufacturing to building complete systems, the study says. The largest application areas will be in communications, computers, and consumer electronics. For more information, phone Electronic Trend at 408-369-7000. - J.K.