Spending in the information-technology (IT) and electronics industries in Asia is expected to slow this year because of the Sars outbreak, two United States research groups said.
IDC said the IT market should pick up next year with double-digit growth.
Gartner Research said it could slash a 9 per cent growth forecast for the semiconductor market.
'The IT market outlook for the region remains uncertain,' said Piyush Singh, the managing director of IDC Asia-Pacific. 'We expect the IT markets in China and India to start picking up this year and drive market revival in the region in 2004.'
Mainland IT spending is expected to jump 16 per cent to US$24.9 billion this year and a further 16 per cent to US$29.1 billion next year.
Last year, China recorded IT sales of US$22.31 billion, up 1.65 per cent. China accounted for 31 per cent of IT spending in Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan.
IT spending in Hong Kong fell 13.81 per cent to US$2.52 billion last year. In Taiwan, it slipped 2.6 per cent to US$4.61 billion.
