What Display Daily thinks: There is ample room for growth in this market. It makes even more sense to replace traditional analog and paper signs with these new variants. E Ink is a monster brand in the e-paper market so this particular JV, if it works out, is an interesting addition to the market.
The gating factor in the market is not necessarily price, ROI, or installation. Is it the distribution channels that may not be big enough or broad enough? Is it the fact that the existing market is driven by marketing and ad agencies who are more inclined to be interested in layouts and their own designs and may lack experience taking full advantage of digital products? Is it an issue at the customer level and an ROI problem for them meaning that they haven’t quite figured out the ROI metrics at this early stage in the development of the market? Is sustainability the real driver of the market?
There are a lot of questions and no easy answers. Logically, digital signage and information displays should be a no brainer given the long-term value and flexibility of the technology. North America and Europe seem to be early adopters with the Asia and Pacific Rim region lagging. I can’t find reliable numbers on what the total market opportunity could be but, again, common sense would suggest it is significant. It will be interesting to see how this JV develops, and whether ChLCD displays can fulfill their promise.
Joint Venture Aims to Increase Adopption of ChLCD
US-based Kent Displays (KDI), Taiwan-based Iris Optronics, and US-based Ebulent Technologies have created a joint venture (JV) to speed up and scale the adoption of Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Displays (ChLCDs). The JV will be headquartered in Kent, Ohio where the companies will focus on ways to collaborate on technology development, resource integration, business development, and intellectual property.
At the announcement of the JV, the three companies also announced the development of an upgraded 27.6-inch outdoor, full-color E-paper display using ChLCD technology. KDI and Iris have been long-time partners, while Ebulent is bringing expertise in supply chain management and technology development. Iris technologies had previously launched its Infinity Display at Touch Taiwan 2024 with embedded solar cells, as you can see in the video below.
ChLCD has so far had niche market acceptance and moderate penetration despite having advantages in low-power consumption and readability in daylight. E Ink remains the market leader in many applications, obviously e-readers and tablets, and gives better refresh rates and is more cost-effective for monochrome displays. ChLCD displays do seem to lend themselves more outdoor displays, and public information systems where content may be static for long periods of time. ChLCD also appears to be a little more durable and able to withstand the elements.
