ITRI Announces Technology Transfer to FlexUP Technologies

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) announced the successful transfer of FlexUP technology to FlexUP Technologies Corp. By providing flexible substrate material, this new startup aims at satisfying the growing demand and emerging opportunities in the flexible display market for smart handheld devices, wrist worn devices and flexible medical sensors.

ITRI Chairman Ching-Yen Tsay stated ITRI has been actively promoting Taiwan’s startup business in recent years. FlexUP Technologies is the fifth spin-offs from ITRI this year and its launch suggests that Taiwan’s display industry has officially entered the arena of flexible material. ITRI has racked up a number of outstanding R&D achievements in the fields of flexible display and electronics technology over the last few years. In 2010, FlexUP, also known as FlexUPD, won the Gold Award of the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award and the R&D 100 Award. FlexUP Technologies Corp. will be the first dedicated manufacturer of flexible substrate material in Taiwan. The product is expected to have broad applications in e-paper, touch panel, digital X-ray and OLED lighting fields.

FlexUP Technologies Chairman and President, Dr. Bor-Ping Wang, stated domestic industries so far do not have a dedicated flexible substrate material supplier to assist flexible IC product development. In the future, FlexUP Technologies will be able to provide critical substrate material to help customers develop high value-added products. For instance, there will be ergonomic wearable devices which are thin, lightweight and flexible, smart handheld devices which serve as a tablet when opened and a mobile phone when folded, and e-paper based products which are compact and impact resistant.

With regard to the existing touch-panel industry, the high temperature resistance characteristic of the flexible substrate material makes it well-suited for use in automotive and medical niche markets. The material can also be manufactured on current production lines which reduces the time and cost of initial production line deployment. The establishment of FlexUP Technologies is expected to attract more than NT$1 billion in investment.

Dr. Janglin Chen, ITRI vice president and general director of Display Technology Center, stated that, as the new wave of Internet of Things gradually takes shape, products which conform to the future lifestyles and consumer needs will become the mainstream in the market. The display requirements for these future products shall not be simply restricted to function upgrades and resolution improvement.

The basic requirements will transition from “device in hand” to “all things online.” In the future, all things or objects that may or need to be online will have an end device added and each end device possible will be equipped with a display. In addition, the displays of the future will be lighter, thinner, flexible and durable. For example, ergonomically designed wearable devices and portable digital healthcare devices that overcome weight and safety concerns can benefit from the convenience and other advantages of being flexible.