Geopolitics

In March 2026, we reported that Japan Display (JDI) is considering constructing a display fab in the US, with support form the Japanese government - as part of a the 2025 US-Japan trade agreement. JDI later confirmed the report, and it is indeed looking into launching JDI display fabs in the US, but said nothing is final yet.

According to new reports, Japan Display's latest plan is to build an eLEAP AMOLED fab, in New York State, in collaboration with OLEDWorks. The total investment will reach $12.5 billion. JDI's new fab will mostly target high-end markets, such automotive displays and displays for the defense industry.

LG Display and Tianma settled their long LCD and OLED display global patent dispute. The two companies have notified the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the settlement and agreed to withdraw all related lawsuits.

While we do not have specific information, we do know that Tianma will start paying patent license fees (or royalties) to LG Display, in exchange to access to LG's IP.

When China published its 15th Five-Year Plan (FYP, 2026–2030) in March 2026, many assumed that the display industry had been handed another wave of state-level support. The assumption was understandable — but it requires a more careful reading.

A Chinese five-year plan is the country’s central blueprint for economic and social development over a five‑year period, setting binding and indicative targets that guide policy, investment, and regulation at every level of government. First introduced in 1953 and inspired by Soviet-style planning, these documents have evolved from rigid production quotas to a hybrid system that combines market mechanisms with state-directed priorities in areas such as technology, industry upgrading, environment, and social welfare. 

This article examines what the plan does and does not say, what it means for Chinese display investment, the implications for Korean display makers, and how alternative geographies — Japan, India, and the United States — are positioning themselves following this new plan.

Towards the end of 2025, we believed that 2026 will be another year of increased AMOLED panel shipments, even without taking into account the two new 8.6-Gen IT OLED Lines that are expected to begin production. But as 2026 started, everyone started to realize that macro constraints are starting to shape OLED panel demand, and the AMOLED market started to contract.

The clearest example is memory. DRAM and NAND prices are both rising sharply, due to AI datacenters demand. This increased the cost of smartphone production, which led to a lower demand - some analysts estimate that smartphone shipments will fall around 10-14% in 2026. The main problem lies in low cost smartphones that already suffer from low margins. For OLED makers, the problem is even worse - as some brands are switching to lower cost LCDs in their budget and mid-range smartphones.

In this article we examine the three new macro constraints that are shaping the OLED industry in 2026, why this matters now more than it did in previous cycles, what we learned from the post-COVID IC shortage, the return of LCDs, which OLED segments are more resilient, and deeper implications for the next chapter in the OLED industry's growth story.

US-based microdisplay developer Kopin Corporation announced that it has decided to build a full-scale OLED microdisplay production line, at the company's Westborough, Massachusetts headquarters.

Kopin says it purchased a state of the art OLED deposition system and all related equipment that is required for the new production line. When this line comes online, Kopin will be the second OLED microdisplay maker in the US together with Samsung's eMagin. 

Last month we reported that Japan Display (JDI) is considering constructing a display fab in the US, with support form the Japanese government - as part of a the 2025 US-Japan trade agreement.

JDI now officially confirmed that the company is considering launching JDI-operated advanced display manufacturing fabs (plural!) in the US. The company says that no decision has yet been made regarding these production lines, though.

In 2025 , the US and Japan signed a trade agreement, which included a commitment by Japan to invest $550 billion directly in the US. These funds will be targeted at industries such as energy, critical minerals, pharmaceutical and medical, shipbuilding - and semiconductor manufacturing and research, with an aim to rebuild U.S. capacity from design to fabrication.

According to a new report from Japan, and as part of that trade agreement and investment commitment, the Japanese government is now looking at building a $13 billion fab in the US, that will be operated by Japan Display. In this article, we look at JDI's history and capabilities (LCD and OLED production), consider the geopolitical implications and the market that this new fab will address, speculate whether it makes sense for JDI to initiate OLED production in the US (or will it choose LCD, or perhaps even microLED), and if so - which technologies and architectures will this fab utilize? 

As the global electronics industry pursues supply chain diversification away from China's overwhelming dominance, India has emerged as a focal point for next-generation manufacturing. There’s much government backing towards the semiconductor industry, but our focus, of course is on the display industry.

Can India establish itself as a significant display manufacturing hub? In this article we look into India’s display research capabilities, the country's chemical industry, supply chain challenges, the geopolitical imperative to reduce Western dependence on Chinese production, and current OLED, LCD and microLED projects and efforts. We conclude by trying to predict where India is header, and whether there is a real chance that in the future will see a meaningful display industry in India.