Signage manufactured using printed and organic electronics will generate a global $2.5bn by 2015, according to a new report published by NanoMarkets, a US industry analyst firm, with far lower power consumption than LCD cited as one of the key drivers.
NanoMarkets' report finds that electrophoretic displays, electrochromic displays, cholesteric liquid crystal, field-emission displays, OLEDs, electroluminescent materials and emissive carbon nanotube technology will impact a wide variety of signage markets ranging from large outdoor billboards to point-of-sale labels. This will offer major opportunities to manufacturers of OLEDs and paper-like displays as well as the materials, equipment and printing companies that support them.
The NanoMarkets report also states that conventional LCD technology is under pressure from electrophoretic, electrochromic and cholesteric LCD technology in the point-of-purchase (POP) display business. These new technologies bring the advantages of flexibility, readability in bright sunlight and especially low power consumption. With 35 million electronic shelf labels expected to ship in 2008 this is a highly attractive market and by 2015 NanoMarkets projects that the printed and organic electronic POP displays business will reach $1.4bn in revenues.
According to the NanoMarkets report reflective displays technologies are already challenging high brightness LEDs (HB-LED) in large area advertising displays. Proponents say such displays make for an easier electronic retrofit for traditional, reflective, hard-copy signs because such signs are usually situated in well-lit areas. Power benefits are again dramatic, often as much as a 5:1 advantage over inorganic LEDs (ILEDs). NanoMarkets projects that the market for organic and printable electronics enabled billboards and large advertising displays will reach $320m by 2015.
At a time when the OLED industry is struggling with active matrix technology, signage offers an attractive alternative market for backlighting and actual displays. Printed OLED backlights are very thin, lightweight, bright, and relatively efficient. They could be the successor to the EL lamp if viable encapsulation technology can be brought to bear and materials and manufacturing costs reduced. OLEDs also offer the essential wide colour spectrum needed for advertising displays where superb printed color graphics are the norm. NanoMarkets estimates that the market for OLED signage will grow to around $303m by 2015.
The report analyses and forecasts the opportunities in signage that are emerging as the result of technologies such as OLED, e-paper, carbon nanotube and other emission devices and EL lighting. It describes the advantages of these new technologies in the signage context, but it also examines the challenges - such as lifetimes for printed electronic signage that has to work outdoors. The report includes detailed (volume and value) forecasts of the printed and organic electronic signage market, broken out by type of technology (OLED, e-paper, etc), application (billboards, POP displays, etc.) and substrate (paper, plastic, etc) Finally, the report includes the strategic profiles of firms driving organic and printable electronics into signage applications. Some of the firms mentioned in the report include: Add Vision, Avery Dennison, Dai Nippon Printing, DuPont, E Ink, Elumin8, Kent Displays, Fujitsu, Kent Displays, Magink, Midori Mark, Neolux, Nemoptic, Novus, Ntera, Novaled, SiPix, Toppan Printing, Varitronix and ZBD.
NanoMarkets tracks and analyses emerging market opportunities in electronics created by developments in advanced materials. The firm has published numerous reports related to organic, thin film and printable electronics materials and applications.
