電子紙產業的競爭策略

Abstract

電子紙技術發展始源於1960年代末期，歷經了近40年的研發，終於在2004年，E Ink藉由電子書閱讀器為平台，成功地將電子紙商業化。短短數年，2011年全球電子書閱讀器銷量接近2,300萬台，電子紙產值達到數十億美元規模。再者，電子紙低耗電量的優點，使電子紙在工業市場應用上，如電子標籤、數位看板等，都是很好的應用標的，目前市場商機雖未見有爆發性的成長，但電子紙仍深具潛力。另一方面，電子紙結構簡單且對電子元件的特性要求較低等優勢，未來朝軟性顯示器發展方向，有著輕、薄、耐衝擊具安全性的優點，且可撓曲使其應用不受場合、空間限制的特性，有利於拓展另一個藍海市場。由於電子紙具有許多被高度期待的優點，市場上有為數不少的公司仍堅持於電子紙技術的研發。 過去數年，台灣利用併購、策略投資與策略合作方式取得上游關鍵的電子紙顯示層技術與專利，市場上主要電子紙顯示面板技術現已群聚台灣：電子紙面板主要供應商E Ink已被元太併購，另兩家具競爭力的廠商SiPix、Bridgestone也分別與友達、台達電子合作開發和生產電子紙應用產品。 本研究針對現有電子紙技術發展做一整理，分析每一技術的優、缺點，提供台灣的電子紙廠商做為未來技術研發、產品開發、市場定位與訂定策略的參考，不要重韜LCD與DRAM的覆轍。不要一味的追著其他顯示技術的發展方向前進，差異化更該是電子紙的主要發展方向。 冀望台灣能在電子紙技術發展上，接棒演出，站穩腳步。 「不要做第一，要做唯一」

The R&D activity of electronic paper (e-paper) technology can be traced back to the late 1960’s. After nearly 40 years of R&D effort devoted by numerous companies, E Ink Inc., a spin-off from MIT media lab, successfully commercialized e-paper technology by launching the first e-reader device through cooperation with Sony in 2004. Then it just took a few years to sell 23 million e-reader devices and to generate billions of dollars of revenue in 2011. Furthermore, the advantages of low power consumption and capability of being flexible in the structure of e-paper devices have also attracted considerable attention in many other applications. Owing to these attractive advantages, there are nearly a dozen companies currently still involved in e-paper R&D activities. For the past few years, three key e-papers companies, E Ink, SiPix, and Bridgestone, have been clustered in Taiwan to produce e-paper device either through M&A, strategic investment, or collaboration with other Taiwanese companies. This study mainly analyzes the pros and cons of currently available e-paper technologies. The frameworks of Michael Porter’s competitive strategy, SWOT, Blue Ocean Strategy, etc., were adopted to analyze business opportunities. Finally, this study is to provide suggestions to those Taiwanese companies in e-paper business to find their core competence and differentiate themselves from existing other display technologies.