Samsung Display Co., Samsung Electronics’ display business affiliate, joined hands with dozens of Chinese television and monitor makers to develop the fledgling curved display market, the company said on Wednesday.

The “Curved Alliance,” formed during a forum co-hosted by China Electronics Chamber of Commerce and Samsung in Beijing on Tuesday, includes Hisense Co., TCL Corp. and nine others. It aims to conduct joint research on curved screens and expand the market.


Han Gab-soo, director of Samsung Display‘s LCD business division, said that curved display will be a new power engine to lead the stagnated display market.

This year will be a critical year for curved panel market, said CECC secretary general Lu Renbo.

Combined with ever increasing demand from customers, the Olympics, upcoming sales season in September and October and strategic efforts by major producers, the curved TV and monitor market will see an explosive growth, he said.

China’s curved TV sales is forecast to reach 2.3 million units this year and surpass 4 million units in 2017, according to China Market Monitor. Curved monitor sales are expected to reach as many as 2 million units this year and hit 5 million units in 2017.

Last year saw a total sales of 829,000 curved TV units in China, worth 9.77 billion yuan ($1.47 billion), CMM said.

Curved screens, which are marketed as providing an “immersive” experience and a wider field of view, were first introduced to the consumer market in 2014.

By Park Ga-young (gypark@heraldcorp.com)