The display industry has developed towards in realizing large-screen and high quality image so far. But in the future, the development directions would go toward the reasonably priced flexible displays. Flexible displays are lighter, thinner, and unbreakable, compared to the existing glass substrate using displays. With such traits, flexible displays are expected to replace the existing market that the conventional displays could not enter due to the limits in application, and to enter new markets.

IHS Electronics & Media (E&M) recently published an Emerging Displays Report – Flexible Displays Technology – 2013, which contains the flexible display technology development trends and R&A conducted by related companies. It also provides the outlook for the flexible display market through 2023.

According to the report, the flexible display market will grow to $1.3 billion in 2016, and then continuously make a rapid growth to $67.7 billion by 2023, accounting for about 20% of the total flat display market. Shipments of flexible displays will amount to 24 million units in 2016, and the figure is expected to expand to 1.8 billion by 2023, making up about 25% of the total flat display market.

The flexible display market will not only replace the existing display market, but also create markets for new kinds of display applications, driving the growth of the display market. The report forecasts that the substitute market will amount to $900 million in 2016 and hike to $32.8 billion by 2023, while the new market will total $400 million in 2016 to $34.9 billion by 2023.