Taiwan has long measured academic success through publication volume, a metric that has driven intense competition with China in research output. But National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Cheng-wen Wu is now calling for a different approach—one focused on global impact and technological leadership rather than paper counts.
South Korean panel makers are about one to two years ahead of competitors in China and Taiwan in Micro LED driving and assembly technologies, according to analysts. However, the country remains heavily reliant on overseas suppliers for chips and backplanes, making supply-chain independence an increasingly pressing issue.
Demand for smart glasses is climbing. Alongside established players such as Meta, Rokid, RayNeo, and Xreal, heavyweight brands including Samsung Electronics and Apple are preparing to enter the market, raising the stakes across the supply chain. In Taiwan's optical industry, several suppliers have emerged as focal points.
The first half of 2026 is packed with events, including the Super Bowl, tax season, the FIFA World Cup, and the Lunar New Year holiday. TV brands have therefore moved forward with inventory stocking. China's top three panel makers—BOE Technology, TCL China Star Optoelectronic Technology (CSOT), and HKC—will simultaneously implement production cuts of five to 10 days each. This is expected to tighten overall supply-demand conditions for LCD TV panels and drive prices upward. Additionally, there are fewer working days in February, so panel output is expected to decline significantly, shifting supply and demand toward a tighter balance and making LCD TV panel price increases in February a certainty.
LG Electronics is formalizing a shift in its television manufacturing strategy, extending outsourcing beyond China to Vietnam as part of a structural overhaul. The move comes as the company seeks to address intensifying global competition and weakening profitability in the TV market.
LG Display, fresh off its first profitable year in four years, is preparing to step up investment in 2026 as it seeks to strengthen its position in the increasingly competitive OLED market. Despite that, the company is proceeding cautiously on one of the industry's most closely watched questions: whether and when to commit to large-scale production of next-generation OLED panels for IT devices.
Asia Optical's subsidiary AsiaTech Imaging forecasts a 20-30% sequential revenue increase in the first quarter of 2026, signaling a recovery from a difficult 2025, President Iris Wu said during an online earnings call on January 28. Full-year revenue is expected to surpass 2025 levels.
China's optical industry is confronting significant challenges as several lens module manufacturers reportedly plan layoffs early in 2026, prompted by sluggish smartphone sales and intense price competition. Industry sources indicate that the sector's difficulties are unlikely to abate in the coming year due to persistent market and macroeconomic pressures.
China's LCD panel industry leads globally across major applications, pushing many Japanese and South Korean suppliers out of the market. In automotive displays, Chinese manufacturers still dominate shipment volumes, but Taiwan's two largest panel makers hold the top two positions by revenue through integrated solution strategies. Automotive display revenue for both is projected to continue rising through 2026, with a combined target of NT$100 billion (US$3.2 billion).
Giantplus Technology, which focuses on small- and medium-sized panels, recently faced a management rights dispute. The largest shareholder, Japan's Toppan Holdings, had originally agreed with JuYi Investment to transfer 53.1% of Giantplus Technology's shares in two phases. However, the second phase of the transaction has stalled, and reports indicate that Toppan does not rule out resolving the matter through legal channels.
After more than two years of patent litigation and a two-week trial, Taiwanese display technology giant AUO secured a significant victory in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division. A jury ruled that AUO did not infringe any of the patents claimed by Texas-based Phenix Longhorn and declared one of the asserted patents invalid.
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