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Optoelectronics on the fast track: PIDA

Taiwanese optoelectronics companies' revenues are expected to expand at a compounded annual growth rate of 17 percent in the next few years, fueled by the rising demand for bigger-screen televisions and new applications such as low-cost laptops, a local market researcher said yesterday.

That would outpace the forecast compounded annual growth rate of 14 percent for companies around the globe during the same period, Taipei-based Photonics Industry and Technology Development Association (PIDA, 光電協會) said.

In 2010, revenues of local optoelectronics companies, including AU Optronics Corp (友達光電) in the flat-panel display industry and Motech Industries Inc (茂迪) in the solar industry, are projected to reach NT$2.89 trillion (US$878 billion), up from NT$1.57 trillion last year, PIDA said.

The flat-panel industry will account for the biggest chunk, or more than 70 percent, of overall revenues, PIDA said. Local flat-panel sales are forecast to hit NT$2.1 trillion in 2010, compared with NT$1.16 trillion last year.

The domestic flat-panel display industry posted an impressive 32 percent increase in revenue last year, reversing the single-digit growth in the past few years, the research house said, adding that the growth momentum was expected to continue this year.

"This year, growth will be boosted by the rising demand for bigger screens for liquid-crystal display (LCD) TVs and robust [replacement] demand for notebook computers," PIDA analyst Han Chung (鍾孟翰) said.

The mainstream size for TVs is expected to increase to 40 inches or 42 inches this year, 50 inches next year and ultimately 65 inches in 2010, Chung said.

"New applications, including digital photo frames, [Apple's] iPhone and its followers, which came out last year, as well as the much-awaited low-cost notebook computers are driving demand for LCD panels," Chung said.

Aside from a strong flat-panel display industry, light-emitting diodes (LED) and solar industries are also emerging as two star industries in the optoelectronics sector, PIDA said.

After resolving problems with technology and pricing, LED will finally be used as a source of illumination this year, mainly for street lamps in China, PIDA said.

The Chinese government plans to spend US$600 million to replace fluorescent street lamps with power-efficient LED bulbs as part of its efforts to solve the power shortage, which would benefit local firms such as LED chipmaker Epistar Corp (晶電) and Bright LED Electronics Corp (百鴻), PIDA sid.

Revenues of local solar cell makers could more than triple to NT$180.74 billion in 2010, PIDA said.
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