ETRI pushes to commercialize next-generation freeform displays for cars, buildings

South Korean researchers have launched a full-scale push to commercialize next-generation "freeform displays" that go beyond the limitations of conventional flat-panel screens.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) said it held the Freeform Display Forum on Wednesday in Gangnam, Seoul, at Sono Felice, where participants discussed core technology development and commercialization strategies.

Freeform displays move beyond the traditional rectangular flat panel, enabling screens to be rendered on curved, spherical and other three-dimensional surfaces. A key feature of the technology is that displays can be freely arranged to match the shape of a product or space.

The technology is expected to find applications across a wide range of industries — including future mobility, smart devices and spatial media — as it can render screens on the curved interior structures of vehicles and on the interior surfaces of buildings.

The forum drew participation from global market research firm Omdia, Samsung Display and media service company Ventax, among others.

Omdia presented an overview of shifts and growth prospects in the global display market, while Samsung Display and Ventax outlined the potential for next-generation display technology and advances in content and services, respectively.

Koo Jae-bon, head of ETRI's Freeform Display Strategy Research Center, laid out the institute's core technology development strategy and future direction for freeform displays.

An expert panel discussion that followed focused on the challenges of commercializing the technology, creating new markets and building an industrial ecosystem.

Bringing freeform displays to market as actual products will require broad collaboration across related industries — not only in display technology itself, but also in materials, components, manufacturing processes and content.

ETRI said it plans to incorporate industry feedback gathered at the forum into its future strategic research, and will work to secure core technologies and identify new service models. The institute said it intends to link government policy support with corporate commercialization capabilities to help domestic companies enter the next-generation display market.

"Freeform displays are a core technology that transcends the physical limitations of conventional screens and adds new value to a wide range of products and spaces," said Lee Jeong-ik, director of ETRI's Spatial Media Research Laboratory. "We will actively pursue core technology development and industry-academia-research collaboration so that Korean companies can take an early lead in the new display market."