IEK: 4 Emerging Products to Lead Growth of Taiwan's High-tech Industries in 2011

Taipei, Dec. 29, 2010 (CENS)--Optimistic about their market prospects for the coming years, Industrial Economics & Knowledge Center (IEK) of Taiwan's government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute recently forecast that four emerging products, namely tablet PCs, smartphones, smart TVs and 3D displays, will jointly lead the growth of high-tech industries on the island starting in 2011.

Mainly fueled by Apple's iPad, global sales of tablet PCs will sharply surge to 48 million units in 2011, 3.2 times the total of 2010, with Android models to command a 25% share, indicated IEK analysts.

Taiwanese companies related to such PCs, including Acer Inc., Asustek Computer Inc., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (contract manufacturing), AU Optronics Corp. (display panels), Wintek Corp. (touch panels) and Elan Microelectronics Corp. (touchscreen control ICs), will all ride on the tablet trend in the year.

Smartphones have also been among one of the hottest-selling information technology-based devices, especially at a time when handset and network development has been increasingly mature in recent years, noted IEK analysts. They projected global sales of Android phones at 270 million units for 2011, six times the estimate for 2010. Also, the growing popularity of AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode)-backlit models will help to fuel the growth.

Taiwanese players in the market include High Tech Computer Corp. Asustek, Acer, Mediatek Inc. (handset ICs), Largan Precision Co., Ltd. (camera lenses), Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (connectors), etc.

In the meantime, with heavy promotion by globally influential enterprises, such as Intel, Samsung, Google, Sony, and Yahoo, smart TVs will also become a prospect in the global high-tech industries. IEK analysts estimated global sales of Internet TVs at 80 million units in 2011, with smart models featuring interactive user-interface and functions to account for 6 million units.

A couple of Taiwanese network device makers, including D-Link Corp, Gemtek Technology Co., Ltd., ZyXEL Communications Corp., have effectively ventured into the emerging segment by turning out set top boxes for smart TVs.

Also, IEK analysts indicated that 3D displays will be widely applied onto consumer electronics, helping drive up global sales of 3D TVs to 12 million units in 2011, four times the total of 2010. Besides, mobile devices built with 3D displays will further the development of the technology.