It doesn't sound like much. "But," advises Atakan Ozbek, "these will be billion-dollar industries. There is going to be demand. We just don't know when."

Oyster Bay, NY - December 1, 2004 - When is a supply chain not a supply chain? When the industry it serves doesn't yet exist. That's the case with the automotive fuel cell industry. Today, there's no such industry, as such. What is there? Lots of research into improving fuel cell technology. Prototypes and test models. A desire to create a whole new energy source that will help us survive the coming scarcity and high cost of oil.

It doesn't sound like much. "But," advises Atakan Ozbek, "these will be billion-dollar industries. There is going to be demand. We just don't know when." ABI Research's principal analyst of energy research says that with such potential, it's important to measure the parameters of the embryonic industry's supply chain, now.

The company has prepared a new study, "The Transportation Fuel Cell Supply Chain." It furnishes a thorough understanding of the major materials that can be used in fuel cell components and systems. Potential demand forecasts are supplied where applicable, and systems are broken down so that companies can realistically assess the potential of each component that will go into a vehicle fuel cell system.

Fuel cells use a wide variety of materials and components, from platinum to thermoplastics and bipolar plates to seals. What is the demand? Is that demand being met? What do they cost? Who is using them? How will prices react as demand grows? All these are questions, says Ozbek, that the new study addresses.

There are over 100 companies presently active in the field, and more than 30 of the most active are profiled in the study. These will later be ranked in ABI Research's innovative "Vendor Matrix". The current study is to be followed up by an analysis of the hydrogen infrastructure that will be needed if automotive fuel cells are to become a practical alternative.

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, ABI Research maintains global operations that support annual research programs, quarterly intelligence services and market reports in wireless, automotive, semiconductors, broadband, and energy. Their market research products can be found on the web at www.abiresearch.com, or by calling 516.624.2500.