The market for electric drives is getting a major boost from the materials handling industry, according to a study published by Frost & Sullivan. Worldwide, sales of electric drives to the materials handling sector grew by 3.9% to $169.3 million in 2001, despite a global economic slowdown. Sales to the materials handling industry are expected to reach $214.5 million in 2008. Electric drives are especially popular in Europe, accounting for a third of all drives sold on the continent. What's more, 43.2% of respondents expect to in-crease their spending in the future; and 11% expect their purchases to rise by more than 10%, Frost & Sullivan's survey says. "The overall result is that logistics are a more important factor and manufacturers [of electric drives] need to invest in a greater total of drive technology," Frost & Sullivan concluded. Driving that growth were intensifying levels of automation and new design developments.