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Pioneering work on OLED technology by Ching Wan Tang and Steven Van Slyke in the late 1980s inspired broader initiatives from which the organic electronics concept emerged in the next decades through the early 21st century. Involving various disciplines, this research led to OLED’s commercialization and wide use in today’s displays and lighting.
In displays, this is largely attributed to the efforts of Stephen Forrest, Ching W. Tang and Mark Thompson. The three received the 2017 IEEE Jun-ichi Nishizawa Medal, an award recognizing contributions to the fields of materials science and device technologies, “for their pioneering work on organic devices, leading to organic light-emitting diode displays.”
Adapting OLED for lighting evolved naturally, as the application clearly stood to benefit from the technology, materials and manufacturing techniques involved. Companies that ventured commercially into this field include Philips with the Lumiblade, Osram with the Orbeos, Acuity Brands with the Kindred and the Revel, and OLEDWorks with the LumiCurve Wave. Focusing on TVs, Philips later sold its OLED business to OLEDWorks, which continues to use the Lumiblade brand today.
After the invention of OLED in 1987 and before the progression toward lighting, separate research on the use of OLED-related organic semiconductor technology in photovoltaics took place. To this day, it remains at the R&D stage but holds promise as an alternative to silicon-based or inorganic solar cells in the future.
Similar undertakings are under way on organic electronics’ in medical wearables and smart textiles, sensors and RFID tags, electronic readers, smart windows, printed batteries and flexible circuits. The technology holds promise in an era where solution-based fabrication can be done, resulting in flexible, lightweight, biocompatible and low-cost electronics.
Global organic electronics market
The market for organic electronics, covering semiconductor, conductive, dielectric and substrate materials, is estimated to have reached $61.85 billion in 2024 and to hit $74.81 billion in 2025 at a 21 percent CAGR, according to a January 2025 report released by The Business Research Company. The same source said that the projection for 2029 is $147.49 billion and is propelled by “advanced materials development, biocompatible electronics growth, Internet of Things applications and foldable displays.”
This upward trend is corroborated by market research companies in China. Per an article on Reports World, a research and consulting platform run by Hunan Molan Digital Intelligence Information, the value reached $71.06 billion worldwide in 2024 with a 19.1 percent CAGR projected by 2029. Semiconductor materials have over half of the share and will continue to lead with a 21.8 percent CAGR during the period. This dominance is attributed to components used in consumer electronics, automotive, medical and health, industrial and military applications.
As for the global OLED materials market, Huajing Intelligence Network reported that from $925 million in 2019, the value could go up to $2.18 billion by the end of 2025.
In China, organic electronic materials were valued at $590 million in 2023, increasing by 33 percent year on year, according to AskCI. This rose further to $690 million in 2024 and is expected to achieve two-digit growth by end-2025 through 2026.
China’s organic electronics R&D
Universities, research institutes and manufacturers in China have been running R&D initiatives for organic electronics technology in recent years, with a number of breakthroughs.
Suzhou University worked with Kyushu University and realized a new molecular design strategy called hybridization of organoboron-nitrogen and carbonyl. The goal is to optimize OLED performance, enabling high efficiency, narrow band and high stability.
Some manufacturers maintain partnerships with academic institutions to strengthen R&D capability. Shaanxi Lighte Optoelectronics Material (LTOM), for instance, has a long-term relationship with Tianjin University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology and Northwest University. Thanks to this cooperation, the company has nearly 600 patent applications for its OLED materials.
LTOM, along with suppliers including Jilin OLED Material Tech and Aglaia Tech, has been working to help localize supply in recent years. Specifically, these companies are looking to get a bigger share of OLED materials accounting for one-third of AMOLED total costs. These inputs come mostly from foreign industry players such as UDC, Merck, Idemitsu and Dow.
In the photovoltaic sphere, there are ongoing studies as well. Wuhan University published two articles, detailing Professor Wang Tao’s research results, in the Nature Energy and Nature Communications journals, both in 2024. They are the “Donor-acceptor mutually diluted heterojunctions for layer-by-layer fabrication of high performance organic solar cells” and “Electronic force promoted intermolecular stacking of polymer donors toward 19.4 percent efficiency binary organic solar cells.” The findings helped improve light absorption and charge transport performance and raise conversion efficiency over 20 percent. The university’s website, however, reported that “the efficiency of binary organic solar cells certified by third-party authorities reached 19.06 percent.”
Other undertakings on organic solar cells are being conducted by Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Tianjin University and Nanjing University.
From these initiatives and others to follow, Chinese companies hope to catch up with their foreign counterparts. In addition to UDC, Merck, Idemitsu and Dow, the current market leaders in organic electronic materials include Samsung SDI, Philips, Bayer, DuPont, Sonya and BASF.
Industrialization drive
The other goal for manufacturers entering cooperation with local universities and research institutes is to accelerate the industrialization of organic electronic materials.
Guangdong GP Nano Technology, the Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Guangdong Institute of Semiconductor Micro-Nano Manufacturing Technology have set up a new lab to promote the industrialization of organic semiconductor materials, print electronic ink and large-sized transparent conductive films.
Others invest in new facilities. Guangzhou Chasinglight has allocated $13.88 million on a production line for 650x550sqmm organic PV modules, said to be the first of its kind in the world. Construction began in 2024, and the initial operation is scheduled to have begun in May 2025. At full scale, the annual turnout will be 400,000 products for consumer electronics, smart homes, automotive and solar energy buildings. The company has also applied for a patent for its semitransparent organic PVs and manufacturing technique.
Wuhan Sunshine Optoelectronics, meanwhile, set aside $83.33 million for a new OLED materials factory in Huanggang, Hubei in 2023. The facility is expected to have an annual production value of $69.4 million when the first phase is completed by 2026 and $111.11 million after the second.
Changchun Hyperions plans to invest $79.16 million in research on high-performance organic electronic materials and in industrializing their production. This project will increase the company’s annual capacity for organic luminance materials by 10 tons.
There are hundreds of makers of organic electronic materials in China, with most found in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shandong and others in Sichuan and Shaanxi. More ventures are expected in the coming years.
