Taiwan's LCD panel makers should develop more small- and medium-size panels for emerging applications that will come along with the rapid developments of 5G, IoT and IoV industries, according to industry observers.
Taiwan's panel makers must turn their attention to new applications for small- and medium-size panels, as they have been absent in the race to build newer generation fabs such as 10.5G for capacity ramps, said the sources.
However, the observers pointed out that the delpoyments of 5G networks in Taiwan alone are expected to create business opportunities of up to US$100 billion in terms of products and services starting in the latter half of 2019, and therefore willl also bring new applications for small and mid-size panels, added the sources.
The development of IoV is also a mega-industrial trend, with most carmakers eager to develop smart driving technologies such as ADAS. In other words, the development of autonomous driving technology is likely to transform vehicles into offices, entertainment or communication centers that may need up to over 10 display products per vehicle.
The rise of the IoT networks will also bring new business opportunities for panel makers, as connected IoT devices used in the manufacturing, medical care, vehicles and other applications all need an interface to interact with people, mostly using a display product, said the observers.
As clients from various sectors have their own specifications, panel makers can develop customized products for different clients, leveraging different features of panels such as flexibility, high transparency, heat or cold resistance.
