SAN JOSE – Sales of printed circuit board worldwide will reach $76.2 billion by 2015, on higher demand from automotive makers, according to a new research report.

“Automotive continues to generate substantial revenue for printed circuit boards,” said Global Industry Analysts, in a press release. “This percentage is slated to increase further in the near future.”

Japan and Asia-Pacific collectively account for a major share of the worldwide printed circuit boards market, the report said. But India, China and other Southeast Asian countries are central to industry growth. “A key reason attributed to the growing significance of these countries is the rapid expansion of electronic manufacturing bases, triggered by the shifting of production activities and facilities of overseas players into these countries to leverage lower labor and manufacturing cost benefits. Production facilities will gain additional thrust in these regions within the next few years,” the firm said.