The global connector industry recorded exceptionally strong growth in the first half of 2026, supported by expanding AI and cloud-data-centre infrastructure, robust high-speed interconnect demand and elevated defence spending. according to TTI Market Eye report by Bishop & Associates.
Bookings outpaced billings, pushing industry backlog to more than USD 34 billion by June.
Backlog Reaches USD 34.3 Billion
The connector industry entered 2026 with a backlog of USD 24.1 billion. Despite strong shipments during the first six months, the backlog increased by more than USD 10 billion to USD 34.3 billion at the end of June.
The industry’s book-to-bill ratio reached 1.07 in June 2026, compared with 1.00 for full-year 2025. A ratio above 1.0 indicates that incoming orders exceed sales billings, typically signalling continued near-term demand momentum. The reported backlog represented approximately 14.7 weeks of shipments, up from 12.6 weeks at the end of 2025.
| Metric | Full-year 2025 | June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Book-to-bill ratio | 1.00 | 1.07 |
| Beginning backlog | USD 21.287 billion | USD 24.067 billion |
| Year-to-date bookings | USD 101.868 billion | USD 66.900 billion |
| Year-to-date billings | USD 99.165 billion | USD 56.623 billion |
| Ending backlog | USD 24.067 billion | USD 34.344 billion |
| Backlog coverage | 12.6 weeks | 14.7 weeks |
Regional Sales Growth Remains Broad-Based
Worldwide connector billings grew 32.2% year-on-year in June and 21.3% year-to-date. Asia Pacific posted the strongest June sales expansion at 48.4%, while North America followed with 39.6% growth.
China also showed significant momentum, with billings up 34.0% year-on-year and 22.3% year-to-date. Europe recorded 20.2% growth in June and 14.7% growth for the first half, indicating that demand extended beyond the principal AI infrastructure build-out regions.
| Region | June billings, year-on-year | Year-to-date billings |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 39.6% | 22.3% |
| Europe | 20.2% | 14.7% |
| Japan | 3.2% | 3.8% |
| China | 34.0% | 22.3% |
| Asia Pacific | 48.4% | 39.9% |
| Rest of world | 19.0% | 14.3% |
| Global total | 32.2% | 21.3% |
Bookings growth was even stronger. North America led with a 56.2% year-on-year increase in June and 54.1% growth year-to-date, followed by China, where bookings increased 42.3% and 44.3%, respectively. Europe’s 28.9% year-to-date bookings growth also suggests sustained order intake across industrial and infrastructure programmes.
AI Infrastructure Drives High-Speed Interconnect Demand
Cloud computing and AI infrastructure are central drivers of connector-market expansion. Hyperscale data-centre construction requires large volumes of GPUs, AI accelerators, CPUs, high-bandwidth memory and networking equipment, each imposing demanding requirements on electrical and optical interconnection.
Fiber-optic cable assemblies and connectors are benefiting particularly strongly because AI clusters need low latency and high aggregate bandwidth between compute, storage and networking resources. The market analysis notes that AI workloads may require up to 36 times more fibre connectivity per rack than conventional cloud data-centre configurations.
PCB connectors and high-speed I/O rectangular connectors, including pluggable interconnect formats, are likewise seeing demand growth. For a deeper application-level perspective, see Understanding AI Passive Components and Interconnects, which examines the passive-component and connectivity requirements of AI hardware platforms.
Defence Modernisation Supports Rugged Connector Segments
Rising defence expenditure and modernisation programmes are adding another major source of demand. Military and aerospace equipment requires reliable interconnect solutions for power distribution, communications, sensing, instrumentation and harsh-environment electronics.
The strongest beneficiaries include circular connectors, heavy-duty interconnects, application-specific connector systems and power/high-voltage products. These applications also demand careful consideration of system-level electromagnetic compatibility, where bulkhead miniature EMI filters for aerospace applications can help suppress conducted interference at equipment-enclosure interfaces.
Currency Effects Shape Reported Results
Regional comparisons should account for currency conversion. The market figures are reported in US dollars, which can make sales from manufacturers reporting in other currencies appear stronger or weaker than their underlying local-currency performance.
Japan is a clear example: June billings were reported as 3.2% higher in US-dollar terms, while the corresponding local-currency result was negative 3.9%. The weak Japanese yen therefore remains an important factor when interpreting global market statistics and comparing supplier performance by region.
Outlook for 2026
The strong booking-to-billing relationship, growing backlog and continued investment in AI data centres point to a favourable connector-market environment for the remainder of 2026. High-speed optical and copper interconnects, board-level connectors, rugged circular products and high-power connector platforms are expected to remain key growth areas.
For electronics designers, these trends reinforce the importance of early connector selection, signal-integrity validation, thermal planning and supply-chain qualification. Data-centre and high-performance-computing projects will increasingly depend on the coordinated design of high-speed interconnects, power delivery and EMC control; the Passive Components for Power Converters Dossier provides related guidance for the power-conversion side of these systems.
Further reading
- Understanding AI Passive Components and Interconnects
- Samtec Presents Connector Solutions for Datacom and AI
- How to Match the Right Connector with Protocol Requirements
- Bishop and Associates 2024 Connector Market Overview
Source
This article is based on the “Industry Performance at the Midway Point of 2026” market analysis published by TTI, drawing on connector-industry data and commentary from Ronald E. Bishop of Bishop & Associates.
