Taiwan has long held an edge in display technology, and the sector is an economic powerhouse, with an annual output value of NT$1.4 trillion (US$47.3 billion) in 2019, second only to that of the nation's semiconductor industry. Production of large screens and mid- and small-sized panels for televisions and automotive displays is the second-highest in the world.
To take full advantage of the nearly limitless opportunity presented by internet-connected devices and application services, and position display technologies and related applications as the engine for Taiwan's next wave of economic growth, the government has released an action plan for display technologies and applications covering the years 2020 to 2024. This plan will funnel investment of NT$17.7 billion (US$598.4 million) over five years into applications for smart retailing, smart transportation, smart medicine and smart entertainment. This will move the sector beyond mere displays toward the 2030 vision of a smart-tech lifestyle incorporating emerging display technologies and applications, thereby keeping Taiwan's advanced tech industry at the global forefront.
Three essentials
■ Encourage demonstration applications and field testing: Drive domestic demand by building demonstration sites for exemplary solutions incorporating domestic products. Assist businesses strengthen overseas marketing capabilities, and burnish the Taiwan brand. Expand "makerspaces" and related facilities to foster startup companies and boost the nation's own ability to innovate display technologies. Build Taiwan into the world's top supplier of display technology products and solutions by 2030.
■ Develop new capabilities for smart technology: Develop emerging technologies like intelligent sensors, online-offline convergence, and cybersecurity, as well as advance new technology through multidisciplinary cooperation. Pursue differentiated materials and green manufacturing processes, with a new push toward an industrial circular economy. Elevate Taiwan's international competitiveness and position on the value chain by producing a range of specialized and differentiated products by 2030.
■ Build an environment for industrial development: Construct communications mechanisms and experimentation platforms for smart retail, smart transport, smart health care and smart entertainment. Nurture new talent capable of synthesizing multidisciplinary research to create future-oriented display technologies and innovative applications, and promote cooperation with international counterparts. By 2030 put Taiwan at the top globally in terms of systems solutions production value, supported by a smart display supply chain worth NT$2.5 trillion (US$84.5 billion).