Taiwan-based optoelectronics makers generated a total production value of NT$1,671.7 billion (US$60.1 billion) in 2021, increasing 16.7% on year, according to the government-sponsored Photonics Industry & Technology Development Association (PIDA).
As the coronavirus caused many consumers to stay at home, the production value of NT$1,076.6 billion for flat displays grew 22.4% on year mainly because stay-at-home consumers caused large increases in global demand for IT- and TV-use panels, and thus panel prices kept rising in the first half of 2021, PIDA said.
The production value for flat displays was broken down into NT$727.1 billion for TFT-LCD and OLED panels, NT$235.9 billion for touch panels, NT$98.3 billion for LED backlight units, and NT$15.3 billion for electronic paper, PIDA noted.
The production value of NT$136.6 billion for LED devices and LED lighting rose 6.9% on year mainly due to fast growing adoption of mini LED backlighting for LCD TVs, notebooks, and tablets, but also due to demand for LED automotive headlights (used in more than 60% of all new cars sold globally), PIDA indicated.
Breakdown of Taiwan photonic production value in 2021 by product category or application | ||
Product category or application | Production value (NT$b) | Y/Y |
Flat display | 1,076.6 | 22.4% |
LED devices & LED lighting | 136.6 | 6.9% |
Optical communication | 109.0 | 8.8% |
Precision optics | 90.6 | (3.7%) |
Solar cell, PV module | 76.7 | 13.8% |
Biomedical photonics | 69.1 | 21.6% |
Optical storage | 48.7 | 4.1% |
Laser | 47.3 | 7.5% |
Image sensor | 17.0 | 6.8% |
Source: PIDA, compiled by Digitimes, January 2022
