MiniLED business opportunities explode

MiniLED business opportunities explode, LED manufacturers follow suit

Since the LED industry and other major brands plan to launch displays with MiniLED backlighting, MiniLED backlighting technology has gradually become the focus of the market. According to TrendForce estimates, by 2024, the value of Micro&MiniLED is expected to reach $3.9 billion, accounting for 18% of the entire LED industry. As a result, many LED manufacturers have entered this application area to seek new growth opportunities.

Branded Manufacturers Influence the Competitive Landscape for LED Manufacturers

As branded manufacturers have clearly announced that they will launch MiniLED backlighting products, there may be an opportunity for the entire LED industry to recreate the industry boom driven by LEDs replacing CFL backlighting. Therefore, major LED manufacturers are moving frequently in order to squeeze into the supply chain, including Nichia, OSRAM, Seoul Semiconductor, and Taiwan's Epistar, Ronda, and Everlight.

LED manufacturers in mainland China are also eager to try. For example, three Ann photoelectric in addition to the alliance with samsung, but also actively send samples to apple, hope to cut into apple's MiniLED backlight supply chain. HC Semi also with Sharp, LG and other manufacturers, all the signs show that these mainland LED manufacturers want to go out of the Chinese market, to participate in the international cup, to seize the MiniLED market brand manufacturers cake. However, after MiniLED enters mass production, will the future competitive pattern of the LED industry be like the past five LED patent manufacturers (Nichia, CREE, Osram, Philips Lumileds, Toyota Synthesis) monopolize the LED market through mutual licensing?

Especially at this stage, the number of LED patents is still high, like a jungle, and few manufacturers are able to avoid unauthorized and cross-licensing of all patents. Having a certain number of basic and important patents and cross-licensing with other competitors is still an important strategy. There are many basic patented technologies, such as certain light homogenization LED technologies, phosphors to improve LED color purity, micro-optical arrays and zonal dimming. As a result, General Manager Xu Hongguang believes that doubts about patent infringement have not diminished, but technological importance and key patent manufacturers will reshuffle the deck.