Digital Map Market 2020 and Forecast 2021-2027

                                          
Report Overview: Digital Map Market


The global digital map market size was estimated at USD 5.08 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.9% from 2021 to 2027. Increasing adoption of novel technologies in map making and surveying along with the rising adoption of digital maps across various industry verticals is propelling the growth. The increasing internet penetration and rise in connected devices such as smartphones, tablets, and interactive displays for adoption of map-based applications is likely to witness rapid rise in near future. Moreover, the ongoing migration from personal navigation devices to smartphones and consumer-centric applications is expected to drive the market growth.

The market is expected to exhibit rapid integration of geomatics systems including mapping, Global Positioning System (GPS), and imagery, wherein key players would increasingly try to develop and launch multi-platform applications. In addition, the rapid speed at which the automotive sector has been adopting digital mapping applications for usage in self-driving cars is also instrumental in increasing the market competition. The automotive applications are, however, not only related to self-driving cars but also extend to a range of other applications including fleet management, logistics control systems, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). For instance, HERE technologies, with its mapping partners of Asia Pacific region, Increment P (IPC)/Pioneer of Japan, NavInfo of China, and SK Telecom of Korea have formed OneMap Alliance to offer a unified worldwide mapping system from 2020.


The digital maps are more accurate compared to the printed maps and can be easily updated to perform user specific tasks. They constitute key geospatial technologies such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), geofencing, and remote sensing. Moreover, there has been consistent development and widespread adoption of new platforms for collecting Earth Observation (EO) data, including small satellites and drones, and High-Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS). It has led to greater coverage across satellite constellations, increased capture options, and more accurate targeting, among others.

Recent developments in the market including the acquisition of Nokia’s HERE by Daimler, Volkswagen, and BMW in 2015 and the investments by Apple to deploy sensor-based cars for mapping are a testament to the evolving structure of the industry. Though major players such as Google (for consumer mapping) and HERE (for automotive mapping in North America and Europe) have an edge in terms of technology deployed and collected database, many new players have been quite successful. However, the role played by open-data repositories such as OpenStreetMap and Open Addresses is also expected to be an important factor in shaping the competitive landscape of the market.

The digital map construction, however, includes a considerable amount of investment in terms of sensors, the technology employed for data collection, and the mode of data collection, which can limit the number of players entering the development segment. Yet, a large number of application providers who cater to niche segments and utilize novel techniques to build upon the existing data sets are expected to flourish over the coming years. Additionally, in the U.K., a Geospatial Commission was launched in 2017, and funded with USD 104.1 million to boost the geospatial industry by utilizing the data procured through various technologies for constructive purposes.

Type Insights: Digital Map Market

Based on type, the market has been further segmented into GIS, LiDAR, digital orthophotography, aerial photography, and others. The GIS segment lead the market in 2019 owing to the increasing usage of digital maps in urban development and city infrastructure planning. Moreover, other applications of digital maps such as disaster management, monitoring of natural resources, and assessment of the impact of environmental initiatives have been instrumental in propelling the growth of the digital map market. The integration of traditional business analytics with GIS has also enabled corporates to effectively evaluate market demographics and develop their business intelligence systems.

Digital orthophotography and LiDAR are anticipated to emerge as the fastest-growing segments over the forecast period 2021-2027. The use of LiDAR and orthophotography has improved the accuracy of analysis provided by digital mapping professionals, thereby reducing the costs associated with supply chain and logistics management, disaster management, and infrastructure development in several regions across the globe. Owing to the various benefits afforded by these two technologies, they are the most widely used methods for data collection. However, the costs associated with LiDAR is one of the major hindrances in its deployment by emerging market players.

Usage Insights: Digital Map Market

The market has been segmented into indoor and outdoor usage based upon the application of mapping techniques in various end uses. The outdoor held the dominant market share in 2019, owing to the rising adoption of outdoor maps in the automotive industry. Moreover, the utility of digital maps for backpackers, mountain bikers, hunters, firefighters, guides, and other serious outdoor professionals and adventurers is also expected to generate the demand. Outdoor usage includes the use of digital maps and navigation systems for product marketing, global networking, fleet management, land-based decision-making, environmental studies, disaster management, risk analysis, and other surveys.

However, the indoor usage segment is anticipated to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period. This growth is expected to be primarily driven by increasing demand from indoor location-based service providers. While the indoor usage of digital maps is in the early stages of development and adoption, its use will increase due to the rising demand for navigation of large and complex buildings. For example, more sophisticated indoor mapping technology has drastically improved the response time of safety for emergency services. It provides the emergency and disaster management teams with improved access to structure layout, points of entry and exit, and other critical information such as the entrance and number of floors.

Services Insights: Digital Map Market

Based on services, the market for digital map has been segmented into consulting, development, and management. The management services are further classified into data management and tracking and analysis. The management lead the market in 2019 owing to rapidly increasing demand for collection, analysis, and representation of collated geospatial data. Management segment is expected to become the major revenue-generating venture buoyed by the demand from location-based services and solutions and hence is anticipated to emerge as the fastest growing segment.

Furthermore, the development segment forms the basis of the digital map value chain and constitutes a significant share of the market. The increasing number of companies integrating digital maps for conducting business analysis and generating market specific insights is anticipated to generate the demand for development services worldwide. The industry service providers are also offering numerous other services including data processing, system infrastructure development, integration & licensing, end-use applications and web services. Several digital mapping service providers are also focusing on integrating digital maps into the customer’s systems to generate interactive and easily accessible digital maps.

End-use Insights: Digital Map Market


Based on end use, the digital map market has been segmented into automotive, military and defense, mobile devices, enterprise solutions, and government and public sector. The automotive segment lead the market owing to the rapidly increasing demand for vehicle navigation and advancements in the field of connected vehicles. This can be also attributed to the renewed interest of automotive companies in introduction of autonomous cars as the future of mobility. The other key areas of automotive applications for digital maps include fleet management, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and logistics control system.

The automotive segment is also expected to expand at substantial CAGR over the forecast period, attributed to the technological advancements in digital cartography and integration of smart displays in passenger as well as commercial vehicles. The mobile device segment also constitutes a major market for digital maps owing to the rapid growth in the number of smartphone users worldwide. Moreover, the solution providers have been catering to a number of other end users that have an extensive use for geospatial analytics.

Regional Insights: Digital Map Market

The primary drivers of the digital map demand are the automotive and mobile devices end-use segments that largely influence the regional adoption of digital maps. Moreover, in the age of digital transformation, many industries are using the digital technology for end-to-end map solutions such as real-time update, location information, technology collaboration, and analytics for better geo mapping outputs. As a result, North America lead the global market in terms of revenue generated. The regional dominance can also be attributed to a large number of industry players situated in the region, a developed automobile sector, and the recent rise in mergers and acquisitions.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to emerge as the fastest growing region over the forecast period due to rapidly rise in demand for GIS systems, geospatial data, along with the related services. Increasing usage of digital maps by the regional governments for rural and agricultural development, smart cities projects, and urban and transportation infrastructure development, have emerged as the major regional growth drivers. Additionally, the developing infrastructure in countries such as China and India have opened new business avenues for vendors, contributing to the market growth. Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at an impressive CAGR of around 13.0% over the forecast period.

Digital Map Market Share Insights: Digital Map Market

Key players operating in the market are,

 	
ESRI, Inc.
 	
Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
 	
Maxar Technologies (DigitalGlobe)
 	
ThinkGeo LLC.
 	
Apple Inc.
 	
Getmapping PLC
 	
HERE Holding Corporation
 	
TomTom International B.V.
 	
 MapData Services.

These companies are involved in various processes such as data collection, data processing, designing, and manufacturing of digital maps and cater to different end uses across the value chain. Major strategies adopted by vendors include collaborations, new product developments, investments related to expanding capabilities, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and agreements, and R&D investments. With the advancements in technologies, companies have introduced web services and mobile applications for maps that provide detailed information and real-time updates to users.

For instance, In January 2020, HERE Technologies, a provider in mapping and location platform services, collaborated with Bose Corporation to help the developer communities to deploy augmented reality (AR) location applications and services. The collaboration will help HERE developers to get access to the Bose AR platform and spatial-audio capabilities, which will in turn enhance the product capabilities and expands its customer base in the long run.
This report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2027. For the purpose of this study, Trusted Business Insights has segmented the global digital map market report based on type, usage, services, end use, and region:

Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

 	
GIS
 	
LiDAR
 	
Digital Orthophotography
 	
Aerial Photography
 	
Others

Usage Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)



 	
Indoor
 	
Outdoor

Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

 	
Consulting
 	
Development
 	
Management
 	
Data Management
 	
Tracking & Analysis

End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

 	
Automotive
 	
Non-Autonomous
 	
Semi-Autonomous
 	
Military & Defense
 	
Mobile Devices
 	
Smartphones/Tablets
 	
GPS
 	
Enterprise Solutions
 	
Government & Public Sector