LCD Industry in East Asia : Competition and Cooperation among Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China

The TFT-LCD has become a necessity of modern life. It is widely used as a display in a wide range of electronic devices, including personal computers (PCs), laptops, mobile phones, and televisions (TVs). Most LCD panels are produced in East Asia. Japanese firms were the first to commercialize liquid crystals in displays, but the market dominance by Japan was short-lived. Korea and Taiwan entered the market in the early 2000s and changed the dynamics of the LCD industry. In the mid-2000s, China also joined the tripartite battle for the huge consumer market. This book describes how the LCD market formed in East Asia and how the players competed and sometimes collaborated with each other, intentionally and unintentionally, in the market. This book discusses the many technological innovations that have occurred in this field and helps to disseminate this information to a broad readership. It may also provide perspective to companies or nations intending to enter, or entering, emerging high-tech industries and aiming to maintain their competitiveness, especially in industries with cyclical consumer demand such as the LCD and semi-conductor ones.