Chinese display makers shine at global show

Chinese display manufacturers are making significant strides in the global market, showcasing their commitment to cutting-edge technology and sustainability at a leading industry exhibition.

This year's Display Week, organized by the Society for Information Display in San Jose, California, saw a strong presence from Chinese companies, eager to unveil their latest advancements and expand their international reach.

BOE, a Chinese display panel manufacturer and a global leader in the semiconductor display industry, took center stage with more than 50 new products and innovative technologies.

Among the highlights were a 110-inch 16K glasses-free 3D display, which the company billed as the first of its kind in the world. Another innovation combined AI with display technology, reducing power consumption of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays by more than 20 percent while enhancing image quality.

BOE also unveiled its first electric flexible cockpit product, comprising a 17-inch central display with a curvature gradient on the driver's side and a 15.05-inch electric foldable screen in the front passenger area.

Sustainability was a key theme for BOE, with a dedicated "green and low-carbon" zone showcasing eco-friendly products like power-efficient laptops, monitors and smartphones.

BOE Chairman Chen Yanshun attributed the company's success and the overall progress of the Chinese display industry to an unwavering commitment to globalization and continuous innovation.

"The semiconductor display industry is a globalized one, with BOE, a company with 30 years of experience in the industry, as an example," Chen told China Daily. He highlighted BOE's global presence, with nearly 60 percent of its market share coming from overseas and seven of its top 10 customers being overseas clients.

The company has 20 subsidiaries and nearly 90,000 employees worldwide, with branches in North and South America, Asia and Europe, and manufacturing bases in Mexico and Vietnam.

Other Chinese display companies echoed BOE's sentiment.

Tianma, a Shenzhen-based display panel maker, reported positive feedback at the exhibition.

At the company's booth, the marketing director, Feng Xiuzhen, was busy introducing their new products to visitors. "We have participated in the exhibition every year," Feng told China Daily. "Our primary goal at the exhibition is not to sell our products, but to showcase our technologies and gain insights into customer needs to further expand our global presence."

The global display industry is booming, with a projected market size of $314.8 billion by 2032, according to a report by Precedence Research. The growth presents opportunities for Chinese companies, both established players and innovative startups.

SeekInk, an e-paper company in Jiangxi province, is riding the "green" wave, capitalizing on the demand for innovative and environmentally conscious display solutions. It is the first time the company has attended Display Week.

"Our energy-efficient and cost-effective e-paper displays cater to diverse applications, from retail price tags to educational tools and healthcare signage," said Erika Xiao, senior business development manager at SeekInk.

She said the company's products have received a positive reception in Europe and expressed her optimism about the US market, highlighting the potential savings in human labor and energy consumption associated with e-paper technology.

This confidence in Chinese technological prowess is shared by Sun Mingming, regional director of overseas business development for EverFine Corp, a Hangzhou-based company specializing in near-eye display evaluation solutions.

Sun acknowledged China's initial gap in display technology but proudly emphasized the country's rapid progress in catching up and offering competitive solutions at lower costs.

"Chinese companies are now at the forefront of innovation in the global semiconductor display industry, and the driving force is innovation," said BOE's Chen, adding that the company has invested a total of 12.6 billion yuan (about $1.7 billion) in research and development over the past years.

The commitment to innovation has translated into dominance in the LCD market, with China accounting for two-thirds of global production capacity and more than 60 percent of global shipments, according to Chen.

Chinese companies also are making significant headway in the OLED field. BOE, for example, has experienced rapid growth in just three years, capturing nearly 20 percent of the global market share in 2023, said Chen.

"Chinese companies are also making rapid progress in various new display technologies, such as 3D, light field display, quantum dot, and printing display," he said.