Taiwan`s government is hoping to maintain the island`s prominent status in the international electronics market by spearheading the development of flexible electronics, next-generation electronic products that promise a tremendous market potential.
The effort is being led by the government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), with its Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories (EOL) serving as the main driving force. Support is being provided by ITRI`s Material and Chemical Research Laboratories (MCL), Mechanical Industry Research Laboratories (MIRL), and Display Technology Center (DTC).
Taiwan`s government is aiming to sustain the islands` prominent status in the international electronics market by spearheading the development of flexible electronics. (Photo from philips` website).
A "flexible electronics mass-production laboratory" was inaugurated this March. Its initial focus, which is being pursued with an investment of NT$300 million, is on flexible electric circuits, flexible solar cells, flexible sensors, and flexible displays.
Meanwhile, a "flexible electronics industry alliance" has been formed under the leadership of ITRI. It now has over 70 members, including Chi Mei Optoelectronics, AU Optronics, BenQ, Prime View International, United Microelectronics, ASE, SiPix, and Tatung.
The government will invest NT$203 million (US$6.2 million at NT$33:US$1) in 2007 and NT$287 million (US$8.7 million) in 2008 in flexible electronics projects carried out by ITRI.
Taiwan is in a race with other countries around the world to develop flexible electronics, which are expected to have huge market potential thanks to the extensive applications made possible by their flexibility, toughness, light weight, and ability to replace virtually all IC products currently in use. If successfully developed, flexible electronics are expected to create a market over 10 times the size of the IC product market, according to Lin Kuo-chin, minister without portfolio, who is overseeing Taiwan`s flexible electronics development program.
Several flexible electronic products are already in use, including RFID (radio frequency identification), flexible e-paper and e-books, ultra-thin mobile phones, and digital wrist watches. Flexible full-color displays and solar cells will be ready to hit the market in 2010, to be followed by flexible electronic components and smart sensor components in 2012-2015.
Capturing One Fifth of the Market
ITRI predicts that the global flexible electronics market will be worth more than US$16 billion by 2015, up from US$480 million in 2008, representing a compound average growth rate of 65%. The Taiwanese government`s goal is to capture 20% of the global market, with sales of US$3.2 billion, by 2015.
Minister Lin points out that the domestic flexible electronics project is currently focusing on display technology and smart-label technology, with the former consisting mainly of e-paper and e-book products such as bulletins, posters, in-car display devices, and foldable screens for portable devices (mobile phones, notebook PCs).
He stresses that Taiwan is well-positioned for the development of flexible electronics, thanks to the strong foundation of its IC and TFT LCD (thin film transistor-liquid crystal display) industries. These industries possess the technological manpower and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies needed for the development of flexible electronics. In addition, Taiwan boasts a complete network of supporting industries, good consumer electronics design capability, and strong product commercialization abilities.
ITRI has already achieved substantial results in the development of flexible electronics. Flexible color displays and 10.4-inch color e-paper employing ITRI`s proprietary technology debuted in July this year.
A number of private Taiwanese firms, too, have become involved in this field. One of these is SiPix Imaging Inc., founded by C.S. Ho, former president of Mitac Inc., which is turning out smart cards, e-labels, and displays for memory cards. Its e-label features low power consumption, a five-year product life, and the ability to have its information updated wirelessly.
Backed by technology obtained with the acquisition of Philips` e-paper display department, Prime View, another Taiwanese company, is now a leading e-paper supplier to the world market; among its major clients is Sony, which uses the paper to produce e-books. Prime View`s e-paper is now all black-and-white, but its color e-paper is scheduled to hit the market in 2009. (PL, Aug. 2007)
(by CENS)
