Frost & Sullivan finds that the hardware-in-the-loop(HIL) testing market is gaining momentum following the development of vehicles with advanced driver-assistance systems(ADAS) capabilities. 

This growth is driven by the need for a solution that can cost-efficiently validate the number of electronic control units(ECUs) incorporated into these vehicles. 

The automotive industry accounted for 60.7% of all industry verticals in 2020 and generated $442.0 million in revenues. It also leverages innovative HIL solutions to test electric vehicles(EVs) and validate the function of the battery unit and other power electronics components. 

By 2026, the global HIL testing market is estimated to reach $1.30 billion from $728.3 million in 2020, up at an impressive compound annual growth rate(CAGR) of 10.2%. 

The aerospace and defense industry is another important vertical, and the entry of private companies into space exploration offers new opportunities for HIL testing companies.

"Vehicles with enhanced ADAS functionalities will involve a significant amount of sensors and embedded software that cannot be tested individually," said Rohan Joy Thomas, Industry Analyst, Industrial Practice at Frost & Sullivan. 

"HIL testing will be crucial for simulating the drivability of the vehicle, reducing product development costs and time to market significantly."

Like with the automotive industry, the components and subsystems inside the aerospace and defense industry are becoming increasingly software-defined. With the rising amount of embedded software, a lot of the HIL testing has to be executed during the earlier phase of the development life cycle.

Additionally, testing should be done for both components and the integrated system as a whole.

Testing solutions system integrators are the fastest-growing component of HIL solutions, followed by software and hardware. 

In 2020, HIL system integration accounted for 35.3% of the entire market because it offers a custom test solution containing the best HIL test solution at a competitive price.