Although hampered by various macroeconomic factors, the global connector industry is growing, albeit at a slow pace. China Electronic Components Association figures reveal a worldwide production value of $42.6 billion in 2007, a 6.6 percent increase from 2006, with FPC/FFC connectors accounting for $7.3 billion. The industry in mainland China particularly fared well, reporting a 15 percent sales revenue growth from $6.91 billion in 2006.Analysts believe increased demand from emerging applications will fuel this growth at an annual 8 to 10 percent. Already, there is greater use of FFCs in OA equipment and home appliances due to their small size and flexibility.Various consumer electronics and related LCD components continue to be the most important applications for FPC/FFC connectors, but the mobile phone industry is also a big market, thanks to the growing popularity of 3G communications. Overall sentiment for the industry is positive, with the use of FPC/FFC connectors now expanding to include industrial applications such as instrumentation, car electronics, medical equipment and military devices.