China-based panel makers are shifting more of their capacities for production of IT panels amid a ramp-up in demand for notebooks and tablets supporting stay-at-home economy, according to industry sources.

BOE Technology plans to relocate 50,000 substrates of its 8.5G lines for IT panels in 2021, while China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) plans to shift 35,000-40,000 substrates of its t2 fab for production of open-cell panels for monitor applications by year-end 2020.

CaiHong Optoelectronics Technology reportedly will also utilize its newly available capacity of 30,000 substrates for production of open-cell panels at year-end 2020, and HKC Optoelectronics will use 50,000 substrates available its 8.6G line in Mianyang for the rollout of IT panels, said the sources.

CEC-Panda LCD Technology also plans to shift 20,000 substrates of its 8.5G line in Nanjing for IT panels by the end of this year, although the plan could change as the firm is currently in possible merger talks, the sources said.

Although Samsung Display and LG Display are reducing their output of LCD panels, an additional of 120,000 glass substrates from 8.5G fabs will be made available for production of IT panels in 2021, affecting the supply and prices of IT panels in the coming year, said the sources.

Meanwhile, global TV panel shipments are expected to fall over 6% on year to 243 million units in 2021, according to the latest forecast of Omdia.

By DIGITIMES