Collaboration marks the first microLED display product in
development using Smartkem's technology. MicroLED displays provide
superior brightness, efficiency and lifespan compared to existing
technology. Technology is expected to run on ITRI's Gen 2.5
assembly line.
MANCHESTER, England, Nov. 25,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Smartkem (NASDAQ: SMTK),
positioned to power the next generation of displays using its
disruptive organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), has partnered
with AUO, the largest display manufacturer in Taiwan, to jointly develop the world's first
advanced rollable, transparent microLED display using Smartkem's
technology.
"We believe that collaborating with global display industry
leader AUO to develop a novel microLED display puts Smartkem's
technology on the frontier of microLED display commercialization.
Our unique transistor technology is expected to enable display
manufacturers to efficiently produce microLED displays, making mass
production commercially viable. Smartkem's technology has the
potential to take today's microLED TVs from high end market prices
of $100,000 down to mass market
prices," stated Ian Jenks, Smartkem
Chairman and CEO.
"Because our transistors are processed at such a low temperature
compared to other technologies, we are able to pour them directly
on top of the microLEDs, completely eliminating the problematic
mass transfer and laser welding processes required with other
technologies. The key feature that enables the development of this
microLED display is our unique low temperature process that allows
the use of low-cost, flexible plastic rather than glass. We believe
that, if successful, this collaboration will be a significant
milestone for Smartkem in its road to commercialization, and for
microLED display product development using our technology."
Dr. Wei-Lung Liau, Chief
Technology Officer of AUO, commented, "AUO has dedicated years to
developing the ultimate MicroLED display technology, forging
alliances with ecosystem partners to enable mass production. In
this collaboration, AUO has developed groundbreaking technologies
that boost the high transparency and free-form in applications of
MicroLED. With proprietary materials from Smartkem and the OTFT
production process from ITRI, we are collaboratively developing the
world's first rollable MicroLED display for potential
commercialization with cost advantage. We believe this will create
new opportunities for the display industry and continue to expand
value chain partner cooperation and influence."
Leading display analyst and DSCC (Display Supply Chain
Consultants) CEO, Ross Young,
commented, "This is an exciting project that, if successful, will
demonstrate the cost effectiveness of Smartkem's technology in the
most demanding of MicroLED applications, and could generate
substantial market interest."
Smartkem's Disruption to the MicroLED Display
Market
Smartkem believes it is poised to transform the
display industry with a new class of microLED displays that are
low-cost, thin, transparent, flexible and lightweight. This is made
possible by Smartkem's OTFTs that are processed at an industry
comparatively low temperature, enabling them to be processed
directly on top of microLEDs in the manufacturing of microLED
displays, eliminating the need for mass transfer and laser welding
processes required by existing technology. This introduces an
entirely new "Chip-First" display architecture to the display
market that is not currently possible using other transistor
technologies. Additionally, Smartkem's low temperature feature
enables processing of Smartkem's OTFTs on a plastic substrate,
rather than glass, that is low-cost, thin, transparent, flexible
and lightweight.
The project between Smartkem and AUO will commence on
January 1, 2025. The collaboration
has been awarded a grant from the 2024 Taiwan-UK Research &
Development Collaboration, supported by The Taiwanese Ministry of
Economic Affairs and Innovate UK, part of UK Research and
Innovation (UKRI).
About the 2024 UK-Taiwan Collaborative R&D
Initiative
The 2024 UK-Taiwan Collaborative R&D
Initiative has invested more than £10 million this year to promote
bilateral industrial technology research and development
cooperation. The nine award-winning projects will promote the joint
development of advanced technologies in fields such as electrical
information communication, biomedicine, and electromechanical by
Taiwan-UK enterprises.
About Smartkem
Smartkem is seeking to reshape the
world of electronics with its disruptive organic thin-film
transistors (OTFTs) that have the potential to revolutionize the
display industry. Smartkem's patented TRUFLEX® liquid semiconductor
polymers can be used to make a new type of transistor that can be
used in a number of display technologies, including next generation
microLED displays. Smartkem's organic inks enable low temperature
printing processes that are compatible with existing manufacturing
infrastructure to deliver low-cost displays that outperform
existing technology.
Smartkem develops its materials at its research and development
facility in Manchester, UK and
provides prototyping services at the Centre for Process Innovation
(CPI) at Sedgefield, UK, It has a field application office in
Taiwan. The company has an
extensive IP portfolio including 125 granted patents across 19
patent families and 40 codified trade secrets. For more
information, visit: www.Smartkem.com and follow us on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/company/Smartkem-limited and Twitter
@SmartkemOTFT.
About AUO
AUO was founded in 1996 and is an
innovative, technology-oriented company that offers products and
solutions with display-centric technology that push the boundaries
for smart mobility, industrial intelligence, energy, retail,
healthcare, as well as enterprise and education. The company is
based in Taiwan and operates
across Asia, the US and
Europe, with a global team of
38,000 people. AUO's consolidated net revenue in 2023 was
USD 8.07 billion. For more
information visit: AUO
Forward-Looking Statements
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the Smartkem's expectations regarding the effect of the Nasdaq
listing on its common stock, its market position and market
opportunity, expectations and plans as to its product development,
manufacturing and sales, and relations with its partners and
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projections regarding its business, operations and other similar or
related factors. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "would,"
"should," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "continue,"
"expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "believe," "estimate," and
other similar or elated expressions are used to identify these
forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking
statements contain these words. You should not place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements because they involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult or
impossible to predict and, in some cases, beyond the Company's
control. Actual results may differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors,
including those described in the Company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no
obligation to revise or update information in this release to
reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new
information becomes available.
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