The digital map market is estimated to capture a valuation of US$ 18.3 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$ 73.1 billion by 2033. The market is estimated to secure a CAGR of 14.8% from 2023 to 2033. Increasing adoption of geospatial data and software within different vertical segments, coupled with growing demand for GIS software, are some of the major factors responsible for boosting the growth of the digital map market.
What are the Factors that Drive the Digital Map Market?
Smartphones and tablets are becoming more advanced due to rapid technological change. Smartphones come with preloaded map software, which can locate points of interest. It has been widely reported that smartphone owners use mapping applications for navigation and driving assistance.
These users use Geographic Information System (GIS) applications and GPS technology to access comprehensive geo-referenced database information that helps them locate nearby restaurants, banks, cinema halls, and other landmarks. To capture accurate 3D spatial information, mobile computing devices are widely adopted in the digital maps market.
Digital maps are growing in popularity due to the increasing adoption of digital technology in data collection and analysis and the increasingly widespread use of digital maps in the industrial sector. As digital map technology providers face an increasingly competitive landscape, they are increasing their product portfolios and enhancing their technology to offer customers more detailed and user-friendly maps.
Motorized stations and GPS technology are used in the digital maps market as a substitute for the optical and mechanical instruments used previously for surveying. Increasing the coverage of remote areas and updating the technology on a real-time basis are the latest trends in digital maps.
What are the Major Technological Challenges Faced by Digital Maps in the Market?
Organizations and government agencies that rely on geospatial technologies and analytics are often unable to realize the full potential of these technologies. The lack of experienced professionals familiar with spatial data and related issues has created a problem for the growth of digital maps in the market.
Digital mapping solutions have faced problems with the inadequacy of knowledge and awareness, which has slowed their adoption, as a result of which they are still slow to be adopted in the market. It is, therefore, possible to encourage the market adoption and growth of the global digital maps market by fostering information flow through several channels, such as forums, blogs, seminars, and return on investment studies.
GPS and location mapping have become essential to mobile device users with the help of mobile computing devices. Users can gather information about places they visit frequently, such as their home and office locations.
Hackers can access user accounts using such information and personal details, such as passwords, IP addresses, or files, such as audio or video. Effective methods must be found to limit the dissemination of GPS information and protect the privacy of people who use their phones.
Additionally, GPS data is shared between applications and operating systems, posing a risk of data privacy violations. All these factors are hampering the growth of the market.
Digital Map Market, 2018 to 2022 Historical Sales, Compared to 2023 to 2033 Future Outlook
The market captured a valuation of US$ 10 billion in 2018 and US$ 16.2 billion in 2022, with a CAGR of 12.7% between 2018 and 2022. Increasing demand for digital images and transportation analysis in areas such as logistics and communications contribute to significant growth in this period.
The demand for improved user-friendly applications and the enhancement of business operations has contributed to the growth of digital maps in the market. With advances in GIS, map analytics, and real-time tracking systems, digital maps represent a potential part of various industries like automotive, mobile & internet, energy & power, logistics, government & utilities, real estate/construction, and others.
Massive fleets have become available to meet consumer demand for on-demand ride services and serve a more diverse delivery service fueled by e-commerce. As part of the mobility services category, moving packages and moving riders rely on efficient drivers who can coordinate multiple parties seamlessly in the real world. As a result, mobile operators rely on geospatial data and technologies from providers like Google Maps Platform to provide all of these features.
Can Software Solutions Be Considered a Catalyst for the Growth of the Digital Maps Market?
Growing demand for 5G technologies and continuous technological advancements in the IT sector has helped propel the growth of digital maps software solutions in the market. Software solutions are estimated to capture a share of 43.2% during the forecast period.
Increasing adoption of 3-D and 2-D views of geographic locations has increased market growth for software solutions. Various developers constantly compete to provide more detailed and comprehensive maps to consumers on the market to satisfy their customers’ demands.
To gain significant financial benefits and added value, digital mapping tools, and software applications have seen an exponential increase in demand as companies of all sizes gain a greater understanding of the capabilities of these tools in the digital map market.
Many companies and businesses, both large and small-sized, in e-commerce, food, automation, etc., are competing in the marketplace to deliver products to customers on time.
As part of the infrastructure life cycle, digital maps play a significant role in the construction and engineering fields. Further, these solutions assist construction engineers in managing and sharing their data, creating reports, and visualizing the data they generate, so that the information can be analyzed and communicated with others. Maps can decrease network maintenance costs as well as improve safety measures.
Which Application Has the Most Potential in the Digital Map Market?
Outdoor mapping dominates the market by securing a maximum share of 75.2% during the forecast period. Automotive is among the well-known verticals that rely on maps for navigation. In addition, many industries, such as logistics, travel, and transportation, make extensive use of navigation software applications. Innovative city initiatives promote the adoption of digital maps on a wide scale through integrated platforms, such as ride-sharing, traffic updates, route updates, and weather forecasts.
The constant development of automobiles has spurred the market for digital maps to grow. As a result of the increasing demand for autonomous vehicles in the market, the need for digital maps continues to rise. Market demand for weather reports, agricultural reports, and mining reports for government and private firms would also contribute to the market demand for outdoor maps.
Smartphone usage has risen dramatically over the past few years. With smartphones, including radio chips, users can access mapping services online and positional information by connecting to satellite navigation systems to find their location automatically.
For instance, people turn to map applications such as Google Maps for directions and location-based searches to find restaurants, banks, pharmacies, gas stations, and ATMs. These trends have been fueled by the growing popularity of smartphones in the market.
How are the Various Regions Affecting the Growth of Digital Map in the Market?
North America is expected to hold the maximum share of 24.4% globally by 2033. North America has become a significant market by increasing the adoption of advanced technology in the region, which is one factor favoring the market’s growth.
Due to the early adoption of technological advancements and the high amount of Research and Development investment in this region, the United States digital map market is expected to account for a total share of 16.5% by 2033. In addition, the significant number of players operating in the digital map space across regions is estimated to further drive the market forward due to the presence of large automakers in this region and the employment of digital maps.
A rising trend in the development of automatic vehicles on the market has been a critical contributor to the growth of digital maps in this region. According to the forecast, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period. During the forecast period, China is securing a CAGR of 16.7% in the global market.
The constant advancement of technology and the expansion of large IT firms in many developing nations have further created a demand for the digital maps market. A significant shift in technological adoption has occurred in countries including China, India, Japan, and South Korea in recent years.
The increasing adoption of digital maps in all these Asian countries is estimated to be influenced by increasing demand for e-commerce applications, mobile technology, logistic management, and monitoring of the environment. During the forecast period, India is projected to reach a market value of US$ 1.4 billion with a CAGR of 18.7%.
Over the forecast period, Japan is projected to achieve a share of 7.1% in 2033. To handle their logistical demands for the fast movement of raw materials and goods, China and India are developing their road networks to counterbalance the logistic order. Further, the increasing demand for intelligent maps for use in automobiles is also contributing to the growth of the market in the region.
The International Geological Mapping Project (IGME 5000) is a major Europe-wide geological GIS map project that is managed and administered by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) under the auspices of the Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW).
BGR and its predecessors have maintained a long tradition of producing international geoscientific maps of Europe. During the forecast period, the digital maps market in the United Kingdom is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.4%. The increased potential arising from the growing presence of automation market players has enhanced the use of digital maps.
What is the Level of Competition for Digital Maps in the Market?
Manufacturers can increase production and meet consumer demand through strategic partnerships, increasing their revenues and market share. Introducing new products and technologies is estimated to allow end-users to reap the benefits of new technologies. Expanding the company’s production capacity is one of the potential benefits of a strategic partnership.
Other Essential Players in the Global Digital Map Market are:
TomTom NV, HERE Technologies, Apple Inc., Alibaba Group, Navinfo Co., Ltd, INRIX Inc., Baidu, Inc., MapBox Inc., Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Alphabet Inc.
Recent Developments in the Global Digital Map Market are:
In February 2022, the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) is estimated to partner with Ecopia AI to provide municipalities with a digital mapping solution to address climate change concerns and keep up with growing communities in Bruce County. MIC member municipalities and their partners are estimated to be able to use state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, cutting-edge machine learning, and aerial imagery to create a 21st Century view of Bruce County, resulting in increased efficiencies and more informed decisions. Continuing to support sustainable growth in the County requires innovative thinking and new tools for monitoring environmental conditions and changes over time.
NVIDIA Research is estimated to turn 2-D photos into 3-dimensional scenes in March 2022 with the aid of artificial intelligence. As a result, NVIDIA developed the neural radiance field, or NeRF, a popular new technology. A new NeRF technique called Instant NeRF is the fast NeRF technique to date. In some cases, it can achieve speeds of more than 1,000x. A polygonal mesh can be compared to a vector image, whereas a NeRF is comparable to a bitmap image: it shows the direction light is radiating from an object or scene. The Instant NeRF system was showcased at this week’s NVIDIA GTC for creating avatars and scenes, portraying video conference participants and their surroundings in 3D, or reconstructing scenes for 3D digital maps.
Apple Maps, the world’s most popular mapping, navigation, and traffic solution, now integrates real-time roadway hazard information into the most comprehensive and trusted digital alert platform for highway safety, HAAS Alert. The Safety Cloud alert is estimated to give Apple Maps users a warning of an impending road hazard, such as emergency vehicles, incident responders, or work zones. As part of Apple’s Safety Cloud program, Apple Maps is estimated to display digital alerts for upcoming road conditions so that drivers can stay safer while traveling.
In April 2022, Avenza Systems Inc., makers of MAPublisher cartographic software and Geographic Imager geospatial tools, rebranded its award-winning mobile mapping app and digital map store, Avenza Maps , to reflect the company’s accelerated growth and current brand vision. As Avenza Maps continues to experience rapid adoption in both the professional and recreation market, the company is increasing its global presence to better reflect the capabilities and application of its platform. Business and individuals who subscribe to Avenza Maps can increase their location awareness, improve their safety, and gain access to more advanced mapping tools.
Apple’s new Maps app is estimated to provide users with better accuracy and a better user experience starting in April 2022. Beginning with Maps maps now feature a host of amazing features, including details about roads, cities, buildings, water, and even land. Commercial areas are highlighted, green space is shown in more detail, 3D buildings are added, and road paths are marked. Users can also navigate directly to the nearby entrance of a mall or store when navigating within carparks with the new Maps app.
