Global demand for FPDs next year set for biggest annual growth since 2014

Global demand for flat panel displays next year is forecast to post the biggest annual growth since 2014 amid migration to larger displays, falling panel prices and new screens used in smartphones, researcher IHS Markit said today in a report.

Demand for FPD willl be driven by several big sport events and smartphones equipped with the OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology, industry insiders said.

In 2018, the FPD demand is expected to reach 210 million square meters, 7.2 percent growth from this year and will be the biggest annual expansion since 2014. The panel demand by value is forecast to rise 1 percent to US$126 billion.

The rise in the demand area is largely attributed to falling panel prices and this in turn will spur consumer appetite for various display devices. The cheaper panel prices are also set to bolster demand for larger display products including 65-inch and 75-inch deveices, said Ricky Park, IHS Markit’s director.

The global TV market will also get a boost ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea in February and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia in June.