Shortwave Infrared Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2020-2030F

Cooled is the fastest growing segment, North America is the largest regional market

The Global Shortwave Infrared Market, valued at USD 441.00 Million in 2024, is projected to experience a CAGR of 9.80% to reach USD 772.77 Million by 2030. Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) technology involves imaging and detecting light within the electromagnetic spectrum's 0.9 to 2.5 micrometer wavelength range, operating beyond human visible perception. This technology generates high-resolution, high-contrast images by leveraging reflected or absorbed photons, which enables capabilities such as penetration through certain materials and atmospheric obscurants where visible light is ineffective. The market's growth is primarily supported by increasing adoption in industrial automation for precision quality control, particularly within semiconductor manufacturing and non-destructive testing, and its expanding application in defense and military sectors for enhanced surveillance and reconnaissance.

Key Market Drivers

The expanding defense and military applications represent a significant catalyst for the Global Shortwave Infrared Market. SWIR technology provides critical advantages in surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting systems, offering superior visibility through atmospheric obscurants that impede visible and longwave infrared sensors. This capability is essential for persistent monitoring, border security, and battlefield awareness. For instance, according to Teledyne FLIR Defense, in July 2024, the company received a $15 million contract to deliver over 150 ThermoSight® HISS-XLR weapon sights to a NATO partner country. This investment underscores SWIR's strategic importance in modern military operations. The broader adoption of SWIR technology is also evident across various sectors.

Key Market Challenges

The consistently high cost associated with Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) sensors and complete imaging systems presents a significant impediment to market expansion. This challenge stems from the fundamental reliance on Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) for sensor fabrication, a material inherently expensive due to its raw material costs and the intricate production processes required. This cost barrier directly restricts broader commercial accessibility and adoption across various cost-sensitive industrial and consumer applications where the initial investment remains prohibitive.

Despite the robust performance of the wider photonics sector, where global annual revenues from the production of optics and photonics core components reached $368 billion in 2022, according to SPIE, the specialized and high-cost nature of SWIR technology limits its contribution to widespread industrial integration. This ensures that only enterprises with substantial capital expenditure budgets can fully leverage SWIR capabilities for precision quality control or advanced surveillance.

Key Market Trends

Miniaturization and cost reduction of Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) sensors are significantly broadening the market by making this advanced technology accessible to a wider range of commercial and industrial applications. This trend directly addresses the historical high costs associated with SWIR sensor manufacturing, which previously restricted its widespread adoption. For instance, Emberion Oy announced in October 2024 its new ultra-low-cost SWIR sensor, with a manufacturing cost projected to be less than €50 in large volumes, aimed at opening mass-market opportunities in sectors such as automotive and consumer electronics. The ability to integrate SWIR capabilities into more compact and affordable devices is essential for market expansion, especially given that the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) reported a 7% decline in North American machine vision sales from $3.116 billion in 2022 to $2.895 billion in 2023, underscoring the demand for cost-effective innovations to stimulate growth.

Key Market Players Profiled:

• Raptor Photonics Limited
• RTX Corp.
• Lynred
• Teledyne FLIR LLC
• Teledyne Princeton Instruments
• Exosens
• Allied Vision Technologies GmbH
• New Imaging Technologies
• Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
• Sensors Unlimited

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Shortwave Infrared Market has been segmented into the following categories:

By Type:

• Area Scan
• Line Scan

By Application:

• Security and Surveillance
• Monitoring and Inspection
• Detection

By Technology:

• Cooled
• Uncooled

By Vertical:

• Industrial
• Non-industrial

By Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Shortwave Infrared Market.

Available Customizations:

With the given market data, the publisher offers customizations according to a company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report.

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.