Simulators Market

Updated on : May 10, 2023

[280 Pages Report] A Simulator is a system that combines software and hardware to simulate training. The market for simulators includes the airborne, land, and maritime platforms used to train commercial and military crew members. Training through simulators is provided via three techniques: live, virtual & constructive simulation, synthetic environment simulation, and gaming simulation. The Simulators Industry size is projected to grow from USD 25.5 billion in 2022 to USD 34.9 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2022 to 2027. The need to train pilots to cater to the increase in air travel is fueling the demand for flight simulators. Training pilots via simulators enables them to handle various flight operations while eliminating the risks that could otherwise be involved. The increasing acceptance of virtual pilot training to ensure aviation safety is another significant factor expected to contribute to the growth of the simulators market.

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Simulators Market Dynamics:

Driver: Growing demand for pilots in aviation industry

According to the Boeing Pilot Outlook 2021, around 612,000 new commercial pilots will be required to manage and fly the global commercial fleet over the next two decades, mostly in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. The growing middle-class population and the increase in trade, tourism, and disposable income in economies such as India, China, and the UAE have increased the need for aircraft and, thereby, pilots.

Mature markets such as North America and Europe are seeing a gradual revival in demand for pilots due to recruitment initiatives by legacy carriers. Pilots not only require extensive training to handle aircraft operations under unusual situations but also need to obtain adequate knowledge about new features in aircraft. Using flight simulators to train pilots avoids damage to expensive aircraft while ensuring the public's safety.

The aviation industry faces a shortage of skilled pilots and thus requires recruitment. These recruited pilots need training, which, in turn, leads to increased demand for simulators. Various airlines and pilot training institutes are being established to offer training courses for pilots, which is another factor expected to drive the demand for simulators..

Restraint: Longer product lifecycle

According to CAE, Inc., the leading manufacturer and supplier of simulators globally, the average lifecycle of a full flight simulator is almost 25 years. However, this lifecycle can easily be extended by software and hardware upgrades. As civil and military aircraft are updated, simulator software is upgraded and modified to provide a more realistic training experience. Periodic modifications to simulator systems to elongate their lifecycle and provide training on the latest aircraft models is the major factor restraining the market's growth.

Opportunity: Development of simulators for unmanned aerial systems

The increasing demand for unmanned systems for defense and commercial applications is expected to drive the demand for simulators. Companies such as AEgis Technologies Group (US) and Havelsan Inc. (US) are introducing highly sophisticated unmanned simulators independent of hardware configurations to simulate any unmanned aerial system (UAS) with the help of any sensor operator and payload suite. These simulators can create a virtual battlefield in real-time, enabling ab-initio training, basic payload and flight operations, mission rehearsal, and mission planning. These simulators, however, need to be cost-effective, capable of precise simulation of flight dynamics, have an error-tolerant control system design, and multi-vehicle simulation with interoperability.

Challenge: Minimization of weight and size to maintain advanced features

Simulator products and solutions find applications in various systems for different combat operations. Soldiers also use these military simulator products during critical missions to gain an advantage over their enemies. However, heavy batteries increase the weight of products, hampering the soldier's performance.

Reducing the size of military simulators is also difficult, owing to the requirement for several components to perform vital functions. The complexity of reducing the size and weight is expected to make the manufacturing process more expensive. Industry players must install sophisticated machinery and invest in R&D activities to increase device efficiency. Trying to minimize devices' associated weight and size while maintaining their advanced features may create a barrier to the market's growth.

Simulators Market Ecosystem

Prominent companies and start-ups that provide simulators and their services, distributors/ suppliers/ retailers, and end customers are the key stakeholders in the simulators market ecosystem. Investors, funders, academic researchers, distributors, service providers, and industries serve as the major influencers in the market.

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The air traffic control simulators segments projected to register highest growth rate during forecast period

Based on type, the air traffic control simulators segment is projected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Air traffic control towers house major equipment, resulting in the highest growth rate for the air traffic control simulators segment. Regions such as North America and Europe are also focusing on the modernization of equipment to improve the efficiency of their air traffic, thereby contributing to the growth of the aforementioned segment.

The maritime segment projected to lead simulators market during forecast period

Based on platform, the maritime segment is projected to lead the simulators market during the forecast period. This segment has been further segmented into military, commercial, and unmanned maritime vehicles. There is a huge demand for new ships, owing to the rise in seaborne trade across the globe. The deployment of new ships will lead to a requirement for new ship crew members, in turn, fueling the demand for simulators to train them.

Asia Pacific is expected to account for the largest share in 2021

Asia Pacific accounted for the largest market share in 2021, and North America is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Improving lifestyles, an expanding number of metro cities and a continually growing population have all contributed to the increased manufacturing and sales of passenger automobiles in the Asia Pacific region. A few Asia Pacific countries, such as Japan and South Korea, have safety rules in place, and the demand for passenger vehicles in these countries is expected to expand over the next five years. With rising population and car demand, China, South Korea, India, and Japan are expected to implement stringent vehicle and road safety laws. Factors such as limited infrastructure and a growing number of road accidents are projected to increase the demand for skilled drivers, subsequently increasing the need for training simulators.

Simulators Industry Companies: Top

Key Market Players

The Simulators Companies are dominated by globally established players such as CAE Inc. (Canada), L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (US), Thales SA (France), Saab AB (Sweden), Indra (Spain), Flight Safety International(US), The Boeing Company (US), Airbus S.A.S. (Netherlands), Tru Simulaion + Training Inc. (US), and Raytheon Company (US).

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Scope of the Report

This research report categorizes the Simulators Market based on Type, Platform, Technique, Application, Solution and Region

Simulators Market, By Platform

• Airborne
• Land
• Maritime

Simulators Market, By Type

• Full Mission Bridge Simulators
• Full Flight Simulators
• Driving Simulators
• Fixed Base Simulators
• Flight Training Devices
• Vessel Traffic Control Simulators
• Land Forces Training Simulators
• Full Mission Flight Simulators
• Air Traffic Control Simulators

Simulators Market, By Solution

• Products
• Services

Simulators Market, By Technique

• Live, Virtual, & Constructive (LVC) Simulation
• Synthetic Environment Simulation
• Gaming Simulation

Simulators Market, By Application

• Military Training
• Commercial Training

Simulators Market, By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Middle East
• Rest of the World

Recent Developments

• In May 2022, Thales acquired RUAG Simulation & Training, which employs 500 people and has annual revenues of USD 93.81 million.
• In February 2022, Kongsberg Digital (KDI), a division of Kongsberg Gruppen, was awarded a major contract to provide a wide variety of marine simulator systems to the South Metropolitan TAFE (Technical and Further Education) college in Fremantle, Western Australia.
• In March 2019, CAE entered into a five-year agreement with AirAsia (Malaysia) to provide CAE Rise, a full flight simulator for initial training of AirAsia’s pilots. This helped the company in expanding its customer base in Malaysia.
• In March 2019, Thales received a contract from Caverton Helicopters (Africa) to provide Thales’ Reality-H Full Flight Simulator to train the pilots of Caverton Helicopters for the AW139 aircraft platform. This helped the company in expanding its customer base in Africa.

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