The size of the colorless polyimide film market was USD 157 million in 2023, and it will reach at a value of USD 6,174.2 million by 2030, powering at a compound annual growth rate of 70.1% by the end of this decade. 

This has a lot to do with the rising requirement for flexible electronic devices, for example iPads, laptops, and smartphones; and increasing manufacturing and sale of lighting equipment and flexible printed circuit boards. Furthermore, the growing use of these materials in solar cells is a main factor powering their acceptance.

On the basis of end user, the electronics category is leading the way, and it will also grow the fastest, with a rate of about 75%, in the future. 

This is mostly as a result of the flexibility, thermal stability, and electrical insulation of these materials, which is the reason they are majorly put to use in flexible screens for laptops, foldable smartphones, tablets, and curved displays for TVs. For example, in May 2021, Kolon Industries supplied transparent and flexible polyimide films for the cover window of Xiaomi's foldable smartphone Mi MIX FOLD. 

It is chiefly attributable to their flexibility and heat resistance that transparent polyimide films are discovering snowballing application in flexible displays.

On the basis of application, the flexible display category led the colorless polyimide film market with 80% share. This is mostly as a result of the growing requirement for flexible displays for laptops and smartphones. 

Wearables, smartphones, and other electronic devices are incorporated with progressions, such as full-screen displays with no borders, as the mobile device market shifts in the direction of larger screens with enhanced portability. For meeting these design specifications and guarantee that displays reach the next degree of flexibility, i.e., rollability and foldability, novel materials are needed.

APAC leads the way, with a share of 60%, in 2023, and it will have the fastest growth. This is as a result of the growing disposable income, financial expansion, and growing population, particularly in India and China, which has brought about in the growing requirement for consumer electronics products in these nations. 

In India, Xiaomi, Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, and Vivo are the top manufacturers of folding electronic devices. Also, players of the industry are manufacturing transparent polyimide films chiefly have their manufacturing in Asian nations, for example China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, which aids uphold the supply–demand equilibrium in the APAC.

It is because of the growing requirement of flexible electronic devices, the demand for colorless polyimide is on the rise. This trend will continue in the years to come as well.

Source: P&S Intelligence