China's new display industry is standing at the threshold of a CNY1 trillion scale. According to statistics from the Liquid Crystal Branch of the China Optics and Optoelectronics Associations, by the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan," the output value of China's new display industry had approached CNY 840 billion, accounting for 53% of the global market. The shipment area of display panels exceeded 220 million square meters, representing 77% of the global market share. As one of the hardware foundations of the information society and the core interface for human-machine interaction in the digital economy, the new display industry is a leading, strategic, and foundational sector in next-generation information technology. It is only a matter of time before China's new display industry crosses the CNY 1 trillion milestone.
More importantly, the path forward matters. As a long-board industry in China's electronic information sector on a global scale and a key pillar of China's electronic manufacturing, how should the new display industry proceed after crossing the "trillion-level" threshold, facing the "15th Five-Year Plan" and the advancement of high-end manufacturing? How can it transition from running alongside to leading the pack? In the inaugural year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," amid consumer electronics challenges driven by factors such as rising storage prices, China's new display industry has maintained upward momentum in scale, delivering a comprehensive answer regarding dimensional upgrades in technology, products, and applications.
Product Structure Optimization: IT OLED Screens Drive "Leading" Status
In June this year, in Chengdu, Sichuan, the first Gen 8.6 AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) production line in China, invested by BOE Technology Group, achieved mass production. This is China's first and among the world's first Gen 8.6 AMOLED production lines to reach mass production. People's Daily stated: "This mass production not only fills the industrial gap in China's high-generation mid-sized OLED field but also marks China's entry into the world's first tier in new display technologies." As one of the fastest-progressing and most technologically mature mid-sized high-end OLED production lines globally, this line demonstrates significant advantages in finished product quality, yield, production efficiency, and luminous efficiency, placing it in the global first tier in terms of technology and product performance.
Meanwhile, Visionox Intelligent Pixelization Technology (ViP), which completely breaks free from the physical limitations of traditional Fine Metal Masks (FMM), passed expert appraisal and review in the first half of this year, being recognized as reaching an "internationally advanced level." Experts recommended accelerating the scaled mass production and application promotion of ViP technology in medium-to-large sizes and IT products, exploring technical feasibility for large-size and TV products, and speeding up the construction of Gen 8.6 AMOLED display panel production lines adopting ViP technology.
On October 31, the equipment move-in ceremony for the TCL CSOT t8 project was held in Guangzhou. Cao Weiran, General Manager of the Printing OLED Middle Platform at TCL CSOT, said: "The move-in of t8 equipment marks the final sprint phase before mass production for the t8 project." As a strategic project for TCL CSOT's layout in next-generation display technologies, the t8 project is a vital carrier for achieving industrial upgrading through printing OLED technology. With a total investment of approximately CNY 29.5 billion, the project has a designed monthly processing capacity of about 22,500 glass substrates. Its main products cover applications such as tablets, laptops, and monitors, with extensions to flexible and foldable displays.
From the perspective of the industry landscape, global Gen 8.6 OLED production lines will present a competitive situation of "two in mass production, two under construction" in 2026: Samsung Display's A6 line is already in full mass production; BOE Chengdu's B16 line completed its first customer delivery in June; Visionox Hefei V5 project is expected to reach mass production in 2027–2028; and TCL CSOT's t8 printing OLED line is scheduled to start production in Q4 2027. Multiple benchmark lines in the OLED sector have laid a solid foundation for the subsequent scaled popularization of mid-sized high-end OLED products and the expansion of the AI PC market. Omdia predicts that global shipments of large-size OLED display panels will increase by 18.8% year-on-year in 2026, reaching 38.8 million units, with growth momentum primarily coming from the release of demand for OLED panels in monitors and laptops. Data from Sigmaintell shows that the share of OLED in overall laptop panel shipments has steadily increased from 4.1% in Q1 2025, growing against the trend to over 10% in the second half of this year. The analysis firm commented that in an environment of shrinking total volume, OLED's counter-trend expansion is not short-term fluctuation but the beginning of structural growth, noting that "by 2030, the penetration rate of OLED in the global laptop panel market is expected to climb to 20%." During the process of increasing penetration, mainland Chinese panel manufacturers are also rapidly gaining share in brand OLED supply. Sigmaintell believes that in 2026, the supply share of mainland Chinese panels for the four major brands—Apple, ASUS, Lenovo, and Acer—has already exceeded 50%, and HP is expected to exceed 40% in 2027.
Omdia's statistics show that mainland Chinese panel enterprises have mastered approximately 80% of global LCD capacity. CINNO Research data indicates that in the first half of 2026, global AMOLED smartphone panel shipments reached about 430 million units, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%, with Chinese manufacturers' share reaching 50.5%, maintaining above 50% for multiple consecutive quarters. As China's display industry achieves leadership in IT OLED technology in 2026, transitioning from running alongside to leading, the "dual mainstream" product structure of China's display industry will become more balanced and scientific, reinforcing the fundamental base of China's display industry.
Rapid Advance of Emerging Technologies: Transforming "Technology Reserves" into "Technology Assets"
The global new display industry is standing at a critical crossroads of technological iteration and landscape reshaping. Micro-display technologies represented by Micro-LED and silicon-based OLED, as cutting-edge display technologies with high complexity and integration, play a crucial supporting role in the development of emerging industries such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence.
In early July2026, Tianma announced the launch of the world's first 3.16-inch transparent circular Micro-LED screen, meeting demands in smart cockpits, in-car assistants, and intelligent robots. Vistar Display released the world's first Micro-LED transparent watch, featuring a TFT-based Micro-LED transparent display dial less than 2 inches in size, with a light transmittance rate of 65% and peak brightness exceeding 3,000 nits. BOE also unveiled a P0.078-inch wearable Micro-LED screen at IPC2026 in September, reducing power consumption by 30% compared to the previous generation.
Beyond wearable devices, Micro-LED technology is entering the consumer electronics world in forms such as large-size TVs and automotive equipment. In September, BOE launched a 135-inch P0.7 COG glass-based Micro-LED, with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits and a module thickness of just 3.5mm. Xu Yaping, Chairman of Chengdu Vistar Display Co., Ltd., told China Electronics News reporters that they have achieved mass production of 135-inch and 270-inch 8K large screens. Tianma applied Micro-LED to smart cockpits, with its 120,000-nit full-color high-brightness "Tianxuan" screen having a thickness of only 2 millimeters.
Micro-LED production line construction is also accelerating: Chengdu Vistar Display's first domestic TFT-based Micro-LED mass production line continues to ramp up and expand, launching a new round of glass-based line expansion; Leyard's high-end MiP line is in stable mass production, supporting the supply of P0.78 ultra-small pitch high-end direct-view screens; Tianma and BOE are advancing the iteration of glass-based COG pilot lines; Hanhua and Siflex silicon-based Micro-LED micro-display lines have sequentially been established and reached mass production, reserving core components for AR near-eye displays. Multiple routes tackling challenges in parallel are jointly driving Micro-LED from demonstration prototypes to commercial implementation.
If Micro-LED competes on "whether it can be manufactured," laser display competes on "where it can be sold." According to RUNTO data, global laser display product shipments reached 1.158 million units in the first half of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 9.8%, with domestic accounts exceeding 50%; annual shipments are expected to rise to 2.662 million units. The penetration rate of tri-color lasers in the domestic home projector market has reached62%. At the 7th Laser Display Technology and Industry Development Conference in September this year, the world's first 150-inch screen-sounding laser TV debuted, achieving "audio-visual unity" through screen vibration sound, while the rollable laser cinema screen can be retracted like a scroll.
Automotive is the second growth curve for laser display. Appotronics' automotive-grade projection giant screen has achieved scaled mass production and delivery on the AITO M9; XGIMI's smart cockpit projection is equipped on Zunjie S800 and AITO M9, having cumulatively secured 11 automotive design wins; during the Beijing Auto Show this year, Huawei Qiankun launched the industry's first commercial LCoS automotive laser projection, implemented on Yijing X9. On the AR product side, Appotronics unveiled the "Dragonfly C1" full-color LCoS AR optical engine at CES 2026, the only solution globally supporting a "one-to-two" architecture, with a monocular volume of just 0.42cc.
In electronic paper technology, the electrophoretic route represented by E Ink is accelerating its "return to consumer electronics." Against the backdrop of breakthroughs in color electronic paper technology, multiple routes are being developed in parallel to expand low-power display application scenarios, with Chinese companies being the most dynamic. Laibao Hi-Tech's MED micro-cavity electronic paper completed the lighting-up of medium-to-large size color products based on Gen 8.6 substrates in September; Guangxian Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. took the lead in forming sample delivery capabilities for active and passive driver color Electro-Wetting (EWD) video electronic papers; in Cholesteric Liquid Crystal (ChLCD), Prodis officially announced the mass production of its 31.5-inch outdoor screen in August, while Tianlong Optoelectronics launched a 94-inch super-large full-color prototype; Chongqing Zhiwei Technology's matrix electrochromic screen achieved mass production, with color technology completing laboratory breakthroughs.
3D display also saw more product implementations in 2026. In May, BOE globally debuted an 18-inch 4K 240Hz naked-eye 3D laptop at SID 2026, integrating eye-tracking algorithms; in June, BOE collaborated with Thunderobot to launch the Silver Wing GU27F180L naked-eye3D gaming monitor, partnering with Tencent Games for content and JD.com for channels, relying on the jointly built "Jinglei Display Innovation Joint Laboratory"—marking the first time 3D display connected "content—display—terminal—channel." Tianma launched the world's first 27-inch 4K 144Hz medical-grade naked-eye 3D display screen, targeting surgical teaching and image diagnosis; Hisense released the industry's first3D Micro-LED large-screen solution in the first half of the year, capable of converting any 2D content to 3D based on 26TOPS edge-side computing power, allowing users to see obvious spatial depth when wearing glasses.
China's display industry "technology reserves" are accelerating their transformation into "technology assets."
Industrial Structure Adjustment: From "Scale Leadership" to "Value Leadership"
Beyond expanding forward into new areas, the "tentacles" of independent innovation are accelerating their extension upstream.
On August 10, 2025, trucks carrying BOE's first batch of Gen 8.6 linear evaporation source equipment departed from the Shanghai Jinshan factory. This marked the delivery of the first products by Shanghai Shengxi Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olightek, to BOE's Gen 8.6 AMOLED production line project. Ten months later, this line officially entered mass production. G8.6 linear evaporation sources are core systems in the vapor deposition process. The successful development of Shengxi Optoelectronic's product and its comprehensive matching with BOE's first domestic G8.6 Gen AMOLED mass production line achieved a "zero-breakthrough" for China in this niche field.
Global Display Chengdu OLED Technology and Innovation Center
On September 14, 2026, Guochuang Ke publicly announced that its independently developed printing display G6 full-size inkjet printing equipment had been moved into the mass production lines of leading panel enterprises, marking that domestic large-size printing display inkjet equipment has officially entered a new stage of production line mass application. Guochuang Ke was jointly established by TCL Technology Group, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and other entities. From the delivery of G4.5 equipment to pilot lines in 2022, to the completion of G6 half-width equipment verification in 2024, to the completion of G6 full-size equipment development in 2025, Guochuang Ke completed rapid generational iteration of equipment in less than six years. Public information indicates that Guochuang Ke will also complete the development of G8.6 full-size industrial equipment within the year, extending equipment capabilities to higher generations.
In July 2025, a senior technical team originating from a top domestic lithography equipment enterprise spun off to establish Shanghai Bonake Technology Co., Ltd. (AGL). At DIC EXPO 2026, Bonake Technology exhibited exposure, metrology, and tensioning ancillary equipment covering all generations from G2.5 to G8.6. This series of products has achieved mass production implementation at several top domestic panel factories, providing a locally validated solution for high-end display equipment. The company's G6 Large Mask Projection Scanning Exposure Machine is the first domestic multi-lens stitching large-field projection scanning exposure machine, breaking the long-term monopoly of foreign competitors.
The barrier of emissive materials was further eliminated in 2026. On October 14, Visionox, in collaboration with Tsinghua University and iQOO, launched the "Sky Mirror" custom emissive material based on pTSF (Phosphorescent-assisted Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Sensitized Fluorescence) technology, regarded by the industry as the fourth generation of OLED emissive technology. Since the material achieved mass production in Q4 last year, products featuring it have truly been launched, with 2K Ultra HD and 185Hz ultra-high refresh rates appearing simultaneously on a single screen for the first time, improving luminous efficiency by 8%, device lifespan by 50%, and reducing power consumption by 6.5%.
Eye protection, a "livelihood issue," is also being addressed by domestic materials. On August 26, Tianma launched the second-generation Tiangong screen in Xiamen, debuting N1 primary spectral emissive materials, reconstructing the red-green-blue three-primary-color emissive system at the device structure level—reducing harmful blue light proportion to 3.7%, increasing beneficial red light proportion to 5.5%, hardware-level native coverage of 95% BT.2020 ultra-wide color gamut, and improving device lifespan by 30%.
A piece of glass is also crossing from "display" to "computing power." BOE started researching glass substrate packaging technology in 2020 and invested nearly CNY 1 billion in 2024 to build a pilot line with a monthly capacity of 1,000 pieces. In September 2026, the pilot line was fully connected, producing 24-layer glass substrate packaging products larger than 100×100 mm, passing internal reliability tests, and delivered for customer validation. After packaging with real CPUs and GPUs, it entered server whole-machine validation stages. BOE Chairman Chen Yanshun stated efforts will be made to meet mass production investment decision conditions by Q1 2027. In May this year, BOE signed a memorandum of cooperation with Corning, focusing on glass substrate packaging, foldable glass, and optical interconnects; TCL CSOT, Rainbow, and Laibao have also successively entered the CPO glass substrate carrier board track. The glass processing capabilities accumulated by display enterprises are finding a second use in the most scarce links of AI computing power. This also indicates that, upon deeply "rooting" in upstream materials and equipment, the display industry chain is about to "branch out." The new display "long-board industry" can not only make the "long board longer" but also enhance its "radiation strength."
From materials to equipment, the "foundation" of China's display industry chain is becoming thicker and harder. From "lack of chips and screens" to "screens connecting everything," the dimensional leap development of the new display industry in the inaugural year of the "15th Five-Year Plan" represents both quantitative change and qualitative transformation. On the road to the CNY 1 trillion mark, China's new display industry is paving increasingly solid foundations for advanced manufacturing and high-quality development.
Author | Lian Xiaodong
Editor | Qi Xu
Art Editor | Maria Li Supervising Producer | Zhao Chen