Output of Taiwan’s electronic paper displays (EPDs) in the first half of this year rose almost 70 percent from a year earlier on strong global demand, the Photonics Industry & Technology Development Association (PIDA, 光電科技工業協進會) said on Saturday.
According to the association’s statistics, the production value of the local EPD sector reached NT$13.2 billion (US$446 million) in the first six months of this year, up 69.2 percent from NT$7.8 billion recorded a year earlier.
The output for the January-June period rose nearly 6 percent from the NT$12.5 billion registered in the last six months of last year.
The organization said the jump in output in the first half of this year was the result of increased applications in EPDs, as e-paper device makers devoted themselves to churning out new products equipped with EPDs, such as electronic labels and watches.
More manufacturers jumped onto the e-paper bandwagon during the period, which boosted the demand, PIDA said.
The booming EPD business represents a sharp contrast to the local liquid-crystal display sector, which witnessed falling sales almost every month in the first half of this year due to global oversupply, PIDA said.
PIDA said EPDs are more readable because they reflect light like ordinary paper does, and are more lightweight and energy-efficient.
As cloud-based technology is applied to portable e-paper devices, and with prices at a reasonable level, the gadgets have been well received in the US and European markets, the association said.
Taiwan-based E Ink Holdings (元太), the world’s largest EPD maker, has seen its consolidated sales jump 75 percent in the first eight months of this year from the same period last year, totaling NT$23.34 billion, the association said.
E Ink’s sales last month rose 117 percent year-on-year to NT$3.47 billion.
The company’s major customers include Amazon, Casio, Hitachi and Sony.
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