Optitune and Merck Sign Distribution Agreement to bring Functional Hard Coatings for Foldable OLED Displays to the market
- Siloxane-based ultra-flexible low reflective hard coating
- Merck will market Optitune’s material to its broad customer base in the display industry
Optitune has developed an ultra-flexible hard coating material with best-in-class optics and durability based on its proprietary siloxane-based technology. Recently, more and more top brands are introducing foldable phones based on large foldable OLED displays. Such displays employ thin flexible substrates which require coatings to protect against fingerprints, scratches, and reflections. Revenues of these free-form displays are expected to reach US$ 8.9 billion by 2025, which is 13 times the revenue generated by this segment today.
Merck, an established leader in display materials will use their brand and customer network to bring Optitune’s product to the market. Merck has played an integral role in the development of display technologies for more than 50 years in the commercialization of LCD and now OLED materials.
“Merck, with their long-standing reputation in display materials and global reach, is the ideal partner for Optitune and is a testament to the quality of the materials we’re producing here in Oulu” comments Optitune CEO Ari Kärkkäinen.
Optitune has developed a range of siloxane-based coating products which are designed to improve the optical performance of displays while lowering power consumption. The extremely robust coatings render surfaces easy-to-clean and difficult to scratch. Optitune’s coatings portfolio covers applications ranging from electronic displays and touch panels to common kitchen appliances.
“This is a classic case of product finds market. What better application than foldable OLED phones to showcase Optitune’s ultra-flexible anti-abrasive hard coat solution. Flexible phones are quite expensive. Ensuring their durability while reducing reflections and increasing battery life is a huge benefit for consumers” comments Optitune SVP and executive board member Neil Pschirer.
For Interviews and Press Contact
Ari Kärkkäinen, CEO, Optitune Oy, ari.karkkainen@www.optitune.com, tel. +358 40 517 2876, www.optitune.com
About Optitune
Optitune chemists and engineers are a determined team, intent on pushing the boundaries of possibility in terms of light transmission, surface management, and durability. Optitune’s patent-protected product portfolio includes flexible plastic hard coats, metal coatings, light management, and optoelectronics materials. The nano-engineered optical coatings are developed and produced at Optitune’s facility in Oulu, Finland. Optitune’s sales team is located in Asia and Europe. For further information please visit: www.optitune.com.
About Merck
Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 57,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2019, Merck generated sales of € 16.2 billion in 66 countries.
Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Performance Materials.