Uncertainty over US tariffs is weighing heavily on the global LCD TV panel market, with sluggish demand prompting TV brands to revise their panel procurement plans for the second quarter of 2025. Following a wave of early stocking in the first quarter, inventories of finished TV sets have risen, leading to what supply chain insiders describe as a tranquil market.
Japan Display Inc. announced on June 2, 2025, that it will cancel its plans to invest in Taiwan's PanelSemi Corp., citing rising geopolitical risks within the semiconductor sector. However, the two companies will continue their joint development projects.
BOE Technology Group is fast-tracking its 8.6-generation (8.6G) OLED production line in Chengdu, raising red flags for South Korean display makers. Having already ceded LCD leadership to China, South Korean firms now worry their edge in OLED may also be under threat.
At AUO's annual shareholder meeting on May 28, a small shareholder referenced a quote from the late Chi Mei Group founder Wen-lung Hsu: The display panel is a once-in-a-century industry. That once-promising era may be fading. Nevertheless, how does AUO Chairman Paul Peng see the industry's future?
HannStar Display, a Taiwanese panel maker catering mainly to the small- to medium-size market segment, has reported a net loss of NT$5.325 billion (US$178 million) for 2024. The company attributed the loss to decreasing demand and oversupply in the LCD market amid a weak global economy.
E Ink Holdings, the global leader in electronic paper technology, held its annual shareholder meeting on May 28, with all proposals passed smoothly. Chairman Johnson Lee expressed optimism about the company's trajectory, noting that despite ongoing global trade tensions, the performance from January to April suggests 2025 is shaping up to be a strong year.
Sitronix's automotive display driver IC (DDI) subsidiary, Forcelead, held an investor conference to provide updates on its current operations. Forcelead stated that the company has accelerated its transformation toward automotive DDIs in recent years, with automotive business revenue now accounting for over 84%. Regarding revenue outlook and growth momentum beyond 2025, Forcelead expressed cautious optimism as client order forecasts appear promising, expecting business growth in the second half and full year of 2025.
Everlight Electronics, a leading Taiwanese LED manufacturer, is adopting a cautious stance for the first half of 2025, projecting that second-quarter revenues will remain close to those of the same period in 2024. The company anticipates that the peak season in the latter half of the year will be driven by demand in the invisible light and automotive sectors, which are expected to support stable gross margins. However, the company notes that escalating geopolitical uncertainties may necessitate a revision of its previously forecasted single-digit annual growth target.
Arizon RFID Technology has moved swiftly to mitigate the effects of recent sharp fluctuations in exchange rates. CEO Louis Lin acknowledged that the appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar in April and May 2025 is expected to pose short-term operational challenges. However, he emphasized that because most of Arizon's revenues and expenses are denominated in US dollars, the company benefits from a natural hedge and does not foresee any major threat to its long-term operations.
While rival Innolux accelerates its push into FOPLP with plans for mass production in late 2025, AUO is taking a more cautious path. CEO and President Frank Ko explained that, despite industry-wide interest in FOPLP over the past year, AUO has chosen not to commit significant resources to the technology, at least for now.
As global display technologies pivot toward thinner, lighter, and more flexible form factors — especially for automotive and smart device applications — Taiwanese glass processor Gtoc Optoelectronics is making a bold move into next-generation materials. The company announced a strategic expansion into the ultra-thin rollable glass cover market, positioning itself as a key supplier for high-end automotive displays and precision glass applications.
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