The future of display technologies: An SID Display Week 2025 preview

By Ted Romanowitz, Principal Consultant, Futuresource Consulting

If Touch Taiwan last month is any indication, there will be a lot of impressive display technology on Display at SID Display Week in San Jose, CA on May 13-15. 

It's clear that the future of display technologies is bright. Multiple technology transitions will significantly impact both consumer as well as commercial display industries.  Major companies will showcase their latest advancements, providing an excellent opportunity to align product roadmaps with emerging technologies. 

From our experience in Taiwan, these are the five key areas of interest at SID Display Week.   

1.      Micro LED Advancements

MicroLED technology is evolving rapidly towards mass production and economies of scale. In the next several years MicroLED will disrupt the global flat panel display marketplace by delivering significantly better image quality and longer lifetime at comparable average selling prices (ASPs).      

At Display Week, AUO will reveal a 127-inch diagonal display, consisting of 42” module boards, built on their Gen 4.5 fab, which is expected to enter mass production by late 2025 or early 2026. This development promises higher yields and increased output, opening the market to other brands.

Innolux will also make a significant impact with their 204-inch 8K MicroLED display, utilising 12.3-inch diagonal modules. Innolux currently transfers only blue pixels, using quantum dots for colour conversion. However, the firm also plans to introduce a RGB product by CES 2026.

For brands intending to bring MicroLED into their product portfolio, meeting these ODMs face to face and evaluating the offerings in person is invaluable.  

2.      MicroLED Ecosystem Maturity

The MicroLED ecosystem is maturing swiftly, with a few hundred companies now providing technology and manufacturing capabilities to mass produce the next generation of display technology.

These individual companies are merging into ten to twelve ecosystem clusters, like AUO, Innolux and others, that will produce a final product.  Depending on a firm’s own engineering and manufacturing capabilities, you can source components at various level of integration as well as facilitating your own ecosystem cluster via strategic partnerships.    

Significant developments in mass transfer and die bonding will deliver significant gains across flip chip Chip on Board (CoB) as well as MicroLED Chip on Glass (COG). This progress along with non-destructive testing, selective laser lift off and advanced repair capabilities are crucial for achieving the high quality and colour spaces required for various applications, from Pro AV to consumer televisions.   

3.      e-Paper Innovations

e-Paper technology is gaining momentum, with an ecosystem now featuring over 125 key supply chain members and major brands like AUO, BOE, HKC, Innolux, Philips, Sharp and TCL/China Star. The eInk Spectra 6 75-inch display, a 3x2 matrix of tiles with minimal bezel, can achieve between 50,000 and 60,000 colours.  Additionally, Litemax is innovating by cutting e-paper panels into unique shapes such as triangles and half circles, for specialised applications. 

4.     Vertical Market Focus and Diversification

Touch Taiwan highlighted the growing focus on vertical markets and applications indicating the LED market maturing and we expect this trend to continue at SID Display Week. 

The applications ranged from large format displays, including TVs, digital signage to mid-sized  mobile, medical and gaming displays to small format AV/VR and wearables. The automotive, marine, and aerospace sectors applications are perhaps early adopters of MicroLED technology in addition to large format displays.   

5.      The Display Industry Meets 

Featuring over 200 exhibitors, SID Display Week is an efficient and effective way to engage an international display supply chain.  New vendors such as LG Display, Radiant, Tianma, Vue Real and others will be present although they did not exhibit at Touch Taiwan.  BOE and TCL/CSOT will significantly expand their presence.     

Especially with recent trade tariff threats, brands are actively seeking to diversify sourcing and minimize supply disruptions and financial impacts.  Rather than lengthy Asia trips, SID Display Week is a great first step toward seeking new partnerships as well as developing paths to implement the next generations of display technology.  

If you are interested in a meeting at SID Display Week or would like an introduction to leading vendors, please reach out to Ted Romanowitz at ted.romanowitz@futuresource-hq.com. 

About Futuresource Consulting
Futuresource Consulting, established in the 1980s, is a leading research and consulting firm specialising in global market analysis, forecasts and strategic insights. With a deep understanding of emerging trends and technologies, Futuresource helps businesses navigate complex markets and make informed decisions.

Press Contact: Nicola Finn, Marketing Manager, Futuresource Consulting, nicola.finn@futuresource-hq.com