E Ink Holdings will forgo Touch Taiwan in 2026 to showcase at COMPUTEX, ceding a higher-profile presence at the domestic show to cholesteric liquid crystal e-paper maker IRIS Optronics. This move may reshape buyer attention and partnership dynamics in the e-paper sector. The decision reflects E Ink's focus on large-size electrophoretic products and international buyers.
IRIS Optronics used Touch Taiwan 2026 to present a broad commercial push for cholesteric LCD (ChLCD) e-paper, highlighting advances in larger panels, system integration, and application partnerships across transportation, healthcare, outdoor infrastructure, and retail environments. The company signaled plans for a pre-listing in the third quarter of 2026 and an eventual listing on the emerging stock board by 2027.
E Ink framed its COMPUTEX participation as evidence that electrophoretic e-paper technology has matured, citing the launch of large-size products and a strategy to reach more international buyers via a dedicated e-paper zone featuring ecosystem partners.
At Touch Taiwan, IRIS emphasized technical developments, including a dual-chirality ChLCD layering technique that raised light reflectance from a cited industry standard of 30% to 50%, and the introduction of a smart marketing human-machine interface integrating infrared palm vein recognition. The company also showcased a range of new applications: smart shared poles and intelligent bus stops deployed in multiple Taiwanese counties; outdoor signage and parking station solutions with system integrators; and splicable displays, exhibited with panel maker Fuxiang to demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale production on existing lines.
The company reported partnerships spanning Taiwan, Japan, Europe, the US, and China to demonstrate applications in healthcare, transportation, outdoor poles, and retail. In smart healthcare trials at two hospital sites, IRIS demonstrated how e-paper can reduce medical staff labor and improve real-time logistics management. A product compatible with printed ads inside train cars was also introduced, aimed at digital advertising for metro and high-speed rail carriages.
IRIS described collaborations with upstream and downstream industry players across multiple panel sizes: AUO Corp. for 8-inch products, Tenma for 31.5-inch panels, Giantplus for 3- and 5-inch sizes, and partnerships with Dayuan, Raydium Semiconductor Corporation, BenQ Materials, and others. The company emphasized the core ChLCD advantages of true full color, operation across an ultra-wide temperature range, and low power consumption. It identified commercially maturing 13.3-inch and 32-inch products: the 13.3-inch model targets indoor advertising and bedside cards with manufacturing by TPV and orders in the tens of thousands, while a 32-inch smart bus stop display co-developed with Askey Computer is slated for installation in Kaohsiung around May–June, with potential nationwide deployment of 6,000–7,000 points.
The company plans to complete proof-of-concept validation in Taiwan before expanding into the Japanese market. At Touch Taiwan, it also launched a 10-inch ecosticker digital photo frame extending ChLCD technology into indoor and lifestyle settings, and the Cholesteric LCD E-Paper Industry Alliance was formally established to coordinate hundreds of supply-chain members and accelerate global adoption.
Article translated by Jingyue Hsiao and edited by Joseph Chen
