Considerations and initiatives for domesticating display manufacturing equipment

The display panel industry has evolved from CRT to OLED, with major technology-leading regions such as Japan and South Korea adopting a vertically integrated model encompassing equipment, materials, and products. This approach ensures self-sufficiency within their regional industrial chains, while each technological leap has reshaped the global industry landscape. China’s display industry started from scratch and, through a strategy of complete technology import, digestion and absorption, and independent innovation, has gradually achieved the world’s highest shipment volume. Nevertheless, it still faces the challenge of being “large but not strong”, as core equipment for display panel production lines heavily relies on imports. Market demand for display technology continues to grow. While LCD is nearing saturation, OLED is becoming the mainstream, with shipments expected to reach 1.22 billion units by 2027. Equipment investment for OLED already exceeds 80% and is rising annually. Meanwhile, Micro LED is emerging as a next-generation technology, with the global Micro LED display panel market projected to surpass $100 billion by 2030, reaching shipment volumes in the hundreds of millions. Equipment investment for Micro LED will also account for over 80%. Given the future market demand and current shortcomings in domestic manufacturing of core display panel equipment—such as the large-scale investment required for high-generation production lines, insufficient industrial chain coordination, shifting market demands, and dual challenges in technology and market—advancing the localization of core display panel manufacturing equipment is crucial for securing China’s display industry supply chain, safeguarding technological sovereignty and profit control, and driving industrial upgrades and new growth points in technology. The development of the display industry has laid a technical foundation and cultivated talent for equipment manufacturing. Notably, the national special action on integrated circuit manufacturing provided valuable experience in localizing display manufacturing equipment. Leveraging Guangdong Province’s advantages in industrial foundations, technical feasibility, and platform infrastructure, Ji Hua Laboratory in Foshan Guangdong has taken the initiative by launching the “Brilliance Initiative”, a dedicated effort to localize core display manufacturing equipment. The project encompasses 17 key equipment initiatives, with a 5–10 year plan to complete R&D, testing, verification, and industrial application, gradually achieving domestic substitution for critical equipment.