Sensor first strange:

The sensor capacity is not small, but the domestic top players are very small.

In 2019, China's sensor market will reach 220 billion yuan. It is estimated that there are more than 1,700 companies, but only a handful of them have an output value of more than 100 million yuan, such as Nanjing Nuowei, Baoji Mike, and Nanjing Gaohua. Goertek and AAC, relying on the strong shipments of Apple mobile phones, have already occupied the field of acoustic sensors. But other fields, such as mobile phones, automobiles, industrial control, wearables, Internet of Things, etc., are basically the markets of foreign brands. Domestic companies are basically potato clubs.

The second weirdness of the sensor:

There are many types of sensors, but this market is hidden.

There are nearly 50,000 foreign molded products and types under research, and there are more than 6,000 in my country. But the sensor market is little known. In fact, the smart manufacturing, industrial Internet, and artificial intelligence that have flourished in recent years are inseparable from small sensors. Mobile phones and automobiles are also big users of sensors. In these respects, Bosch, Renesas, Infineon and others take the initiative.

Sensor third monster:

People are afraid of cutting supply, but military industry is not afraid of cutting supply.

The military industry is not worried, because military sensors are already highly autonomous, mainly because they can be purchased regardless of cost. And if you want to compete in the civilian market, it is not only about scale, but also cost-effective. If the power consumption is smaller and the cost is smaller, then the winner takes all. Therefore, the breakthrough in the civilian market is still very difficult, and it cannot obtain support from the military market. Two tunnels, each connected to one side, did not get through.

The method of choking abroad is also very subtle. Japan's Yokogawa and Chongqing Chuanyi have a joint venture to produce Yokogawa's instruments. The resonant pressure sensor provided by Yokogawa, Japan is the highest precision pressure sensor. Domestic research has not been able to overcome. Yokogawa Instruments is in a state of "notified price increase and rewarding supply". If Yokogawa Japan only provides 10,000 chips and sensors, then Yokogawa Instruments can only make 10,000 sets of equipment.

The fourth monster of the sensor:

China's cost advantage is not as obvious as abroad.

Most of China's current production is low-end sensors. In my country, the import of high-end sensors accounts for 80%, and the import of sensor chips reaches 90%. The production cost in China is also very high, and the income is only tens of millions. How can you be willing to invest tens of millions of production lines? Now many sensor manufacturers are still doing it alone and assembling a lot by hand. Because the quantity is not up, there are only 5,000 in a month. There are no economies of scale at all. And Bosch, Omron, etc. have long set up factories in China, and the cost advantage is also huge.

And the United States, Germany and Japan are eyeing the Chinese sensor market, and they are very tight on the market share. As soon as China makes progress, it will be squeezed by price cuts by foreign brands. In 2010, a photoelectric proximity switch from Japan's Omron cost 400 yuan, but now with the gradual rise of Chinese brands, it only costs 60 yuan now. Flexible price reduction and firm defense of market share are common marketing methods for foreign manufacturers. In this way, domestic brands have been suppressed near the thin line of the yellow-faced muscle, and it is difficult to turn over.

The fifth monster of the sensor:

The market is huge, but financing is the hardest.

Originally, intelligent manufacturing and artificial intelligence are very popular, and sensors should finally usher in the turn of salted fish. However, wood has. This market is a business that investors don't want to see. The same is true in foreign countries. Shike photoelectric sensor in the field of industrial control is the only listed sensor company in Germany. Many family businesses are multi-million, tens of millions of euros for a long time. Due to the lack of deep understanding in China, investment has been in a lukewarm period.

The sixth monster of the sensor:

The quality is noble, but it is a grass-roots person.

Sensors are the first line of defense for perception and the source of intelligence. However, this industry has been neglected. In the early 1980s, in the research conducted by the State Science and Technology Commission, what technologies were included in information technology? "Sensor technology" caused huge differences. But in the end, the sensor was cut off because it was too small. In this flash, forty years have passed, and the situation has hardly changed. Not even a decent sensor policy.

Sensors are the five senses of all things, eyes and ears, and various senses of touch. So important, but no one pays attention. The six big monsters of the sensor are themselves a big strange thing. This is a heart-wrenching thorn.

Netizens discuss:

@South Mountain Linkoping:I checked the reports of 20 sensor listed companies. There are only 2-3 companies related to industrial automation. 1. Shenzhen Kelu is a smart grid, which is expected to be 3.2 billion yuan in 2020. 2. Henan Hanwei, the largest gas sensor, with industrial touch: estimated 1.8 billion 3. Shanghai Weiltai: pure industrial automation. Is it so bleak to engage in industry? Weiltai has been listed for 14 years and has a revenue of 60 million a year, while Honeywell's sensing and IoT division has a global revenue of nearly 6 billion.

@walker thousand miles55794:The category is huge, and there is no amount of it. Destined to be small companies everywhere.

Where are the lively short videos in the field of automation? With high housing prices, where can you rest assured and do research? There must be a cause. Respecting science, respecting scientific research talents, revitalizing the capital market, and letting people with technology and intelligence dive in, are painful. It wasn't because of being beaten that I remembered that I didn't practice a guy, and looked around.

@Sherif with a scarf: This industry is not fun. It is partly controlled by craftsmanship and partly by the market. In the past, capital was reluctant to enter, but now it is concentrated in some categories of consumer electronics.

@ also love brother JS: We have not mastered the two keys to industrial automation (intelligence), sensors and motors.

@Green Bamboo Pavilion owner: With such fast-moving, high-return Internet and consumer investments, no one can afford basic investments that go slowly.

@saturnman: It also involves traditional basic disciplines such as materials, chemistry, optics and mechanics. When you encounter weaknesses in these areas, you will come out directly.

@oO Paste oOo Paste Oo: Many sensors are closely related to materials. The Japanese are indeed very strong in this field, and it takes time to start from basic industries in China.

@新月qunying: Not an expert, as a veteran user, just say a few words: The research and development of civilian sensors is about "semiconductor", "material engineering", and "core algorithm". If the product wants to meet the needs of customers, it needs to be developed during the research and development process. To solve a large number of environmental and engineering problems, even if it is successfully developed, the price competition is fierce, if it cannot become a leading manufacturer and the shipment volume is insufficient, there will be no cost advantage.

@Trailing6868: The slicing is too serious. The key thing is to succeed, every element required is indispensable. In the current situation, it is too difficult. I have done this, and there are too many places to integrate from the R&D market and so on.

@GEB12: In the era of IoT, sensors are a key industry. The state should support, force state-owned enterprises to purchase, and encourage private enterprises to purchase.

The author of this article: Nanshan Lin Xueping, the hot discussion originated from Weibo comments.

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