Katarzyna Petru
TCL CSOT has officially begun construction of a new 8.6 generation OLED factory in Guangzhou, China – a month ahead of schedule. This is part of the T8 project, in which the company has invested as much as 4.15 billion dollars. The new facility will be the world's first to use inkjet printing technology for the production of OLED panels.
Breakthrough in Display Technology
Thanks to this investment, TCL CSOT is entering direct competition with LG Display and Samsung Display, the dominant players in the OLED panel market for medium formats – namely laptops, tablets, and monitors.
As emphasized by Jun Zhao, Vice President of TCL Technology and CEO of TCL CSOT:
“The T8 production line is a breakthrough for the global display market. We are integrating the entire value chain – from raw materials to the finished product – creating an integrated industrial cluster capable of global competition.”
Inkjet printing technology is expected to reduce production costs by as much as 20%, while maintaining high image quality, energy efficiency, and precise colour reproduction in RGB OLED panels.
4 billion dollars and 22,500 substrates per month
The new T8 factory is an investment worth 4.15 billion USD. The plant is set to produce 22,500 substrates of 8.6G per month (measuring 2290 × 2620 mm), which will then be cut into smaller panels for various types of devices.
The first phase of production will focus on high-end screens for tablets, laptops, and monitors. TCL has not yet confirmed whether the technology will also later be used in OLED televisions.
Printed OLED becomes a reality
Many experts believe that inkjet printing technology is the future of OLEDs – cheaper, more flexible and scalable. Professor Sir Richard Henry Friend from the University of Cambridge, one of the pioneers of this technology, emphasised:
“It is wonderful to see TCL take the baton in the field of printed OLED. This is the best possible stage in the development of this technology and the beginning of its most promising phase.”
What next?
Mass production will start in 2027, and the OLED market has very dynamic years ahead. It is estimated that the global number of shipped OLED panels will rise from 1.01 billion in 2024 to 1.33 billion in 2030.
TCL T8 could be a turning point for the entire OLED market. If the forecasts are confirmed, printed panels will enable real price reductions for OLED televisions within a few years – which analysts also predict for 2026.
