HONG KONG -- Computers and handheld devices make up the majority of end-products for PCBs, a new report details.

Based on studies of products consumed by downstream users, computers (desktops, notebooks and servers) and mobile products (mobile phones and tablets) accounted for 60% of the PCB market in 2014, says the HKPCA.

IC substrates constituted 14% of the market; consumer electronics (home appliances and game consoles) made up 11% of the market; automotive electronics and medical each stood at 6%, and military, aerospace and aviation made up 4%.

Computers saw a rebound worldwide, with shipments of PCs and servers reporting moderate increases, triggering expectations of long-term sustainable growth momentum, HKPCA said.

"The global communications equipment industry is witnessing a major transformation, and is poised for more growth, with the 4G industry reporting growth in both revenues and earnings. At the same time, global IT innovation is in its most active period, as the waves of mobile broadband continue to sweep through the world, while mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data, SDN and other new technologies and businesses are trending toward mass adoption."

Still, competition is fierce: The convergence of smartphones and tablet computers further eroded the PC markets. Low-end smartphone hardware are literally at "zero profit,” while branded mobile phone makers are delving into a vertically-oriented product line development, the trade group added.

The trade group is basing its report on a recently released study titled “Electronics and Information Industry White Papers Series (2015 Edition),” a group of 20 white papers tracking and analyzing 20 industry segments and their respective developments in 2014.