Frost & Sullivan: Southeast Asian Automation Services Market Benefits from the Growth of the Oil & Gas Industry

- Evolving demands create opportunities for vendors offering cutting-edge services

SINGAPORE, March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The abundance of critical resources such as coal and oil in Southeast Asia has made the oil & gas industry one of the biggest markets for automation services. The rapid development of this industry has triggered several changes. Oil and gas companies constantly have to invest in integrated automation technology for better transparency, as the regulations related to performance and carbon emission are becoming increasingly stringent.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Southeast Asia Automation Services Market, finds that the market earned revenues of US$328.4 million in 2013 and estimates this to reach US$508.1 million in 2018, with most of the growth expected from developing countries such as Indonesia and Thailand.

Apart from oil & gas, investors are also evincing keen interest in chemicals and petrochemicals, and water industries, indicating considerable opportunities for automation vendors in these sectors. Frost & Sullivan expects retrofits to play a vital role in future, as companies look to meet large-scale demand.

"All the major multinational automation vendors have firmly established themselves in Southeast Asia and have made significant investments in improving their services," said Frost & Sullivan Industrial Automation & Process Control Research Analyst Krishnan Ramanathan. "International vendors especially have been working with engineering, procurement and construction companies and system integrators, as they have realized the value of collaboration in offering best-in-class services."

While opportunities are plentiful, automation manufacturers have several technical issues to sort out before they can optimally tap the market. It is vital to understand the specific requirements of end users during deployment or system upgrades, as these processes can throw up several challenges regarding configuration and consistency.

"The installed base of automation systems is proving inadequate to meet the demand for higher control. Most end-users' systems are not only outdated, but also generate substantial expense in maintenance," noted Ramanathan. "Gradually, they are realizing the importance of investing in automation systems to achieve greater resource optimization and gain a competitive edge."

The success of concepts such as main automation contractor (MAC) has allowed automation vendors to better offer integrated services. Major vendors are opening up exclusive centers and others are likely to follow suit, as end users are expected to gravitate toward vendors offering robust support structure for maintenance and repair.

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail to Donna Jeremiah, Corporate Communications, at djeremiah@frost.com, with your full name, company name, job title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country.

Southeast Asia Automation Services Market is part of the Industrial Automation & Process Control (http://www.industrialautomation.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan's related studies include: The Main Automation Contractor (MAC) Model in the Automation and Controls Market, ANZ Manufacturing Execution Systems Market, Southeast Asia and ANZ Automation & Software Solutions Market for the Chemical & Petrochemical Industry. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.