Coretronic said shipments of its energy-saving and imaging products will fall in the first quarter of 2026 due to seasonal factors and fewer working days, while projecting 10–20% year-on-year shipment growth for both categories across 2026. The company reported stronger fourth-quarter revenue and modest annual results.
Taiwanese display driver IC (DDI) giant Novatek recently held an investor briefing, where Vice Chairman and General Manager Steve Wang said that memory supply and costs will be the most critical factors affecting various electronic products, especially smartphones and PCs, in 2026. Aside from traditional DDI products, Novatek has recently made progress in new areas such as system-on-chip (SoC), application-specific ICs (ASICs), imaging, and edge AI. The company plans to continue launching new products and expand into diverse applications.
LG Display (LGD) agreed on February 9 to sell its automotive LCD module business in Nanjing, China, to Toprun Total Solution, according to a regulatory filing reported by ZDNet Korea. The transaction is valued at approximately KRW104.1 billion (approx. US$71 million) and is scheduled to close on July 30.
Global TV brands are competing in the high-end market with multiple technologies such as OLED, QLED, RGB Mini LED, and Micro LED, with RGB Mini LED backlighting becoming the focus for manufacturers in 2026. Although TCL Technology is facing technical obstacles, it continues to position SQD Mini LED as its primary flagship. However, some analysts believe that through collaboration with Sony, there may be an opportunity to adjust the positioning of RGB Mini LED TVs.
Largan Precision, Taiwan's leading manufacturer of optical lenses, reported January 2026 revenue of NT$5.499 billion (approx. US$173.4 million), down 2% from the previous month but up 11% year-over-year.
The arbitration ruling has been issued in an equipment contract dispute between Taiwan-based LED equipment supplier FitTech and China's leading LED manufacturer Sanan Optoelectronics. Under the decision by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Sanan subsidiaries Hubei Sanan Optoelectronics and Quanzhou Sanan Semiconductor Technology are required to pay equipment fees, interest, and compensation to FitTech. After deducting late delivery penalties and part of FitTech's legal expenses, the total payable amount stands at about NT$1.49 billion (US$47.2 million).
Sony has recently chosen to partner with TCL in managing its Bravia TV brand, reflecting the long-standing downturn of the Japanese vendor's television business. In Japan, once-dominant domestic TV brands have largely been replaced by rising Chinese competitors.
As Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics prepare for 2026, both South Korean technology leaders are sharpening their competitive edge by embedding artificial intelligence (AI) across displays and home appliances. Beyond hardware upgrades, their strategies increasingly rely on subscription and leasing models, platform ecosystems, and an expanded Micro RGB TV lineup, signaling a shift toward service-oriented growth and deeper customer engagement.
Rising raw material costs and exchange rate fluctuations have driven upstream panel material suppliers in China to raise prices on glass substrates, polarizers, target materials, and PCBs since 2025. Although not all suppliers succeeded in increasing prices, the overall cost pressure has pushed panel manufacturers to focus more on ultra-large-size TV panels, prompting modest capacity expansions.
Taiwan has long measured academic success through publication volume, a metric that has driven intense competition with China in research output. But National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Cheng-wen Wu is now calling for a different approach—one focused on global impact and technological leadership rather than paper counts.
South Korean panel makers are about one to two years ahead of competitors in China and Taiwan in Micro LED driving and assembly technologies, according to analysts. However, the country remains heavily reliant on overseas suppliers for chips and backplanes, making supply-chain independence an increasingly pressing issue.
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