China Dominates Thermal Imaging Market in 2023

In a significant shift last year, China redirected its focus towards thermal imaging technologies and managed to capture a staggering 50% share of the global market in 2023, according to insights from Yole Developpement.

While Chinese manufacturers concentrated on conquering high-volume market segments, traditional players opted for higher-margin markets. The intense competition propelled a race towards achieving smaller pixels, resulting in notable price reductions at the microbolometer level and subsequently expanding the overall market size.

Chinese industry leaders bridged the performance gap with well-established counterparts by leveraging their robust production capabilities and offering competitive pricing strategies. Companies like InfiRay and Hikmicro from China saw a remarkable surge in 2023, displaying consistent growth in both industrial and consumer sectors due to their volume-focused business approaches.

The Chinese thermal imaging ecosystem hit a monumental milestone by accounting for half of the global thermal imager shipments, marking a significant shift in the dynamics of the thermal imaging market landscape.