Merck will introduce new materials that can be applied to the production of next-generation panels such as folding and rolling.
According to reports from Korean media zdnet, ddaily, etnews, etc., on December 2, South Korea’s Solip Tech Company and Merck signed a commercialization cooperation agreement on folding and rolling panel material technology. After Solip Tech supplies the developed Hard Coating material to Merck, Merck will sell it exclusively worldwide.
Hard coating materials mainly improve the durability of folded and rollable panels. Coated on the panel cover glass or transparent PI material to achieve the functions of improving hardness and scratch resistance.
Generally speaking, hardness and flexibility are opposite physical properties. The harder the object, the less likely it is to bend and the more fragile it is. And Solip Tech's Hard coating material has both hardness and flexibility. Therefore, it is very suitable for folding and rolling panels.
Merck's cooperation in this time is mainly optimistic about Solip Tech's original technology. LCD source technology company Merck is actively expanding OLED material investment as a next-generation profitable business cultivation. With the development trend of OLED folding and rollable directions, Merck is also actively acquiring relevant core technology materials.
Solip Tech is a faculty entrepreneurial enterprise founded in 2021 by Professor Bae byungsoo of KAIST New Materials Engineering in South Korea. Prior to this, it was independently commercialized. But this time through the partnership with Merck, it is expected to accelerate the company's commercial growth.
On the same day, Merck also announced its cooperation with Finland Optitune Oy. Said that it will launch liviFlex brand new materials through cooperation with Solip Tech and Optitune Oy.
Merck Michael Heckmeier's Chief Deputy President said: Free form Device is a rapidly growing trend in the electronics industry. Merck will cooperate with Solip Tech and Optitune Oy to provide customers with healthier and stable solutions to quickly respond to market demands.
The first product launched by the liviFlex brand will be liviFlex-H, which provides customized Hard coating solutions. It includes all the core technologies of Free form Device such as hardness and scratch resistance, flexibility, and optical properties.
Merck predicts that through liviFlex, it can achieve $8.9 billion in revenue from the Free form panel material business by 2025. This is 13 times the current revenue of Free form panel materials.