DIC EXPO 2026, a display technology and application innovation exhibition organized by the China Optics and Optoelectronics Manufactures Association (CODA), was held last August at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC).
Approximately 300 companies participated in the exhibition, including BOE, TCL CSOT, HKC, Visionox, Tianma Microelectronics, Longteng Optoelectronics, and Everdisplay. Exhibitors showcased the technological development direction of China’s display industry across the entire value chain, ranging from materials and equipment to display panels and smart devices.
The technologies on display covered a broad range of areas, including LCD, OLED, Mini LED, Micro LED, and e-paper. Key technology trends highlighted at the event included improvements in LCD performance, mass production of mid-sized OLED panels, commercialization of printed OLED, and the industrialization of Micro LED.
This year, the exhibition also placed greater emphasis on XR technologies and smart devices. One of the key features was the extensive XR ecosystem presented at the event, spanning Micro OLED- and Micro LED-based optical engines, finished devices, interaction technologies, and application solutions.
Entrance to the DIC EXPO 2026 exhibition hall (Source: UBI Research)
BOE Expands Next-Generation Display Technologies and New Applications
BOE showcased approximately 50 display technologies and products based on its three major technology brands. Key technologies included RGBX dual four-primary-color displays, Super Oxide, COG MLED, foldable OLED displays with minimized creases, and transparent OLED displays.
Beyond competition in panel performance, BOE also emphasized a strategy of integrating display technologies with a broader range of applications. The company said it is expanding its business into areas such as glass-based packaging substrates, perovskite solar cells, and optical interconnects by leveraging its display technologies, glass processing capabilities, and large-scale intelligent manufacturing expertise.
At the DIC Forum, BOE Chairman Chen Yanshun also identified collaborative innovation, technology convergence, and the integration of AI capabilities as key directions for the global display industry. He emphasized that future competitiveness in the display industry will depend not only on technological innovation in panels themselves, but also on how effectively display technologies can be combined with AI and technologies from other industries.
Tianma Focuses on Micro LED, OLED, IT, and Automotive Displays
Tianma presented a broad range of display solutions spanning mobile, IT, and automotive applications through exhibition zones organized around Smart Living, Smart Mobility, Smart Office, Tianma Tiangong Screen, and next-generation technologies.
Major products included a 3.16-inch transparent circular Micro LED display, a 14-inch 4K 165Hz Oxide tablet display, a 6.32-inch FSD + 240Hz AMOLED display, and a 29.5-inch LTPS automotive display. Through these products, Tianma demonstrated its strategy of strengthening its competitiveness in next-generation Micro LED technology and premium mobile OLED while expanding into high-performance IT displays and large automotive cockpit displays.
DIC EXPO 2026 also demonstrated that competition in China’s display industry is expanding beyond panels toward ecosystem-level competition encompassing materials, equipment, components, and applications.
As emerging applications such as XR, automotive, IT, and robotics continue to gain importance, future growth is likely to depend more on the pace of commercialization in new markets than on shipment growth alone. At the same time, technologies including OLED, Micro LED, Micro OLED, and Oxide are developing in parallel according to their respective applications.
Going forward, competitiveness is expected to be differentiated less by the performance of individual technologies and more by mass-production capability, cost competitiveness, application expansion, and commercialization capabilities.
Changwook Han, Executive Vice President/Analyst at UBI Research (cwhan@ubiresearch.com)
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