The defense, aerospace, and energy industries rely heavily on radiation hardening, often known as “rad hardening,” and radiation survivability testing. Electronic components such as circuits, transistors, resistors, diodes, capacitors, single-board computer CPUs, and sensors are designed and manufactured to be less susceptible to damage from radiation and extreme temperatures (-55°C to 125°C); these are known as radiation-hardened electronics or rad-hard electronics. The electronics industry is creating high-reliability integrated circuits for various space applications. Different levels of reliability are being tailored for specific missions where SWaP, cost, and performance are top priorities. Radiation is one of the most harmful forces for deployed aerospace and defense electronics systems. This force exists naturally in space and at high altitudes or is unleashed in large amounts when nuclear bombs are detonated. Thus, radiation-hardened electronic components should be deployed to reduce the damage from the harsh environment.
BAE Systems; Infineon Technologies AG; Texas Instruments Incorporated; Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions; Honeywell International Inc.– Prominent Market Participants in Radiation-Hardened Electronics Market
The biggest threat to satellites is radiation generated from solar flares, resulting in system failures. Due to the lack of air protection, these satellites are vulnerable to solar flares. As a result, radiation hardening is required to withstand space radiation while protecting electronic components. Furthermore, electrical components used in space activities are manufactured with a life expectancy of at least 15 years without failure. High-energy particles in space destroy the electronics. These reasons influence the global space industry to adopt rad-hard electronics, further boosting the radiation-hardened electronics market.
BAE Systems; Infineon Technologies AG; Texas Instruments Incorporated; Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions; Honeywell International Inc. are some of the key market players operating in the global radiation-hardened electronics market. The listing of key players is derived by considering multiple factors such as overall revenue, radiation-hardened electronics product portfolio, geographical reach, new product launches, market initiatives, and investment in technology up-gradation, partnerships, and other market-related activities. In addition to these players, there are several other important players operating in the radiation-hardened electronics ecosystems which were studies analyzed during the course of this market research study, such as Data Device Corporation; Renesas Electronics Corporation; STMicroelectronics; Xilinx, Inc.; VORAGO Technologies; and Microchip Technology Inc. Most of the market initiatives were observed in North America and Europe region, which have a high potential of market-related products, solutions, and services. Few of the important market initiatives from the industry are mentioned below:
| Year | Development | Region |
| 2022 | Honeywell has established a partnership with SAPA Placencia, a leading producer of electric power solutions and a global leader in heavy vehicle gearboxes. The partnership was founded to work on improving electric power production for military ground vehicles. | North America |
| 2022 | BAE Systems has been awarded a $60 million contract from the Army Contracting Command. The program’s principal purpose is to provide the US government and aerospace sector with onshore access to cutting-edge microelectronics technology. Cadence Design Systems, Carnegie Mellon University, Novellus, Reliable MicroSystems, and Sandia National Laboratories will be part of a team that will carry out this work. | Europe |
