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08 Feb 2005
Market report shows that Taiwan’s photonics industry is still growing.
The production value of Taiwan's photonics industry soared by 36% in 2004 to reach $27.3bn, according to statistics from the country's Photonics Industry and Development Association (PIDA).
The growth was fuelled by an increase in demand for flat-panel displays and optical storage (CD/DVD) which accounted for $14.4 bn (up 61%) and $6.3bn respectively (up 11%).
According to PIDA, Taiwan's output in the sector accounted for 13% of the world's total in 2004 -- a rise of two percent over 2003. And next year production is expected to top $31.8 bn as rewritable DVDs and LCD screens continue to displace conventional video recorders and CRT displays. Other important trends include the increasing use of LED backlights and cameras in mobile phones.
"Taiwan's market share in the overall global photonics industry has shown steady increase, with 11% market share in 2003, 13% in 2004 and will reach 14% in 2005," Murphy Lin from PIDA told the Taiwan News at the association's year-end industry review last month.
Microdisplays and solar cells were the two fastest growing sectors in 2004, with growth rates of 1011% and 155% respectively. "Solar cells shows a big growth for the third year in a row," PIDA wrote in its report. "In 2004, due to the oil-price surge and the environmental policy of the European countries, the market value of solar cells increased significantly."
Author
Oliver Graydon is editor of Optics.org and Opto & Laser Europe magazine.
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