Ultra-thin Glass Market

Ultra-thin Glass Market Outlook - 2027

The global ultra-thin glass market was valued at $9.5 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $16.6 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2020 to 2027.

The COVID-19 outbreak has minimal impact on the ultra-thin glass market as the decline in demand for this glass for consumer electronics products has been recovered by implementation of IoT and increase in demand for various private cars to maintain social distancing.

Ultra-thin glass is a high-end glass, which possesses minimal thickness (below 1 mm). It is thinner than a single human hair strand, thus providing advantages over other substrate materials such as plastics, metals, or silicon. It offers superior optical quality, temperature stability, chemical consistency, and mechanical resistance in all applications. Ultra-thin glass is widely used in the semiconductor industry for electronics application to enable microchips with highest data transfer rates. Additionally, ultra-thin glass is utilized in electronic & optical sensors and energy storage devices.

Increase in demand for various consumer electronics products, such as smartphones and TVs, is expected to drive the ultra-thin glass market growth. Additionally, ultra-thin glass panel is used in various consumer electronics to reduce the overall weight of the product. Furthermore, changing lifestyle and increasing disposable income of consumers increase the sale of automotive vehicles, which further enhances the market growth. Ultra-thin glass is widely used in car interiors and sensors. However, high cost of raw materials and availability of low cost alternatives, such as plastics, may restrict the market growth. Furthermore, ultra-thin glass can be shattered easily, unlike plastic-based displays. Surge in usage of ultra-thin glass in solar products is expected to create lucrative opportunities for the market players.

The global ultra-thin glass market is segmented on the basis of thickness type, application, and region. On the basis of thickness type, it is divided into <0.1mm, 0.1mm-0.5mm, and 0.5mm-1.0mm. Based on application, it is categorized into consumer electronics, automotive & transportation, medical & healthcare, and others. Region-wise, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

Major players have adopted product launch, collaboration, and acquisition to sustain the intense market competition. For instance, in March 2018, AGC developed an ultra-thin flexible cover glass with 0.07 mm thickness which is suitable for foldable devices. This expanded company’s product portfolio in foldable OLEDs market. Some of the key players profiled in the report include Corning Inc., AGC Inc., Nippon Electric Glass, Schott AG, Nippon Sheet Glass, CSG Holding, and Central Glass Co., Ltd.

Global Ultra-thin Glass Market, By Region

Asia-Pacific accounted for a significant ultra-thin glass market share. This is attributed to growing application of ultra-thin glass in various consumer electronics and automotive industries in emerging nations such as China, India, and South Korea. China being the world leader in automotive unit production has huge demand for ultra-thin glass in various automotive interior panels. Additionally, presence of major players, such as AGC Inc. and Nippon Sheet Glass, is expected to further drive the market growth. North America is expected to witness steady market growth, owing to rise in disposable income of consumers and robust investments from industry players. 

Global Ultra-thin Glass Market, By Thickness Type

Ultra-thin glass with thickness of 0.1mm-0.5mm accounted for significant revenue share, owing to rise in demand for touch panel display, fingerprint sensor, semiconductor substrate, and vehicle infotainment system. Such glass provides excellent heat resistance for smartphones, tablets, and LCD.

Global Ultra-thin Glass Market, By Application

The consumer electronics segment accounted for significant revenue share, owing to increase in demand for various smart phones, cameras, and LED TV. Ultra-thin glasses are widely used in consumer electronics for applications such as displays and sensors. Automotive & transportation is expected to witness strong growth over the forecast timeframe, owing to shifting trend toward private transport. Furthermore, ultra-thin glass has huge demand in various automotive interiors and displays, which is predicted to positively impact the ultra-thin glass market growth.

COVID-19 scenario analysis

• The ultra-thin glass market has been severely impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 across the globe.
• This is attributed to the decline in demand from the consumer electronics segment. As a large number of industries and commercial areas went under complete lockdown, the consumer electronics segment faced a significant drop in demand, thereby negatively impacting the market growth. 
• In addition, social distancing norms led to decrease in sales of new automotive and electronics products.
• Furthermore, extended lockdown slowed down the production of ultra-thin glass due to limited resources and longer lead time to replenish raw materials.
• However, implementation of IoT and automation may reduce the need of labors wherever possible and increase operational efficiency. Automated packaging with smart robots can reduce the workers on shop floors, thereby maintaining social distancing norms.

Key benefits for stakeholders

• The global ultra-thin glass market analysis covers in-depth information of major industry participants.
• Porter’s five forces analysis helps analyze the potential of buyers & suppliers and the competitive scenario of the industry for strategy building.
• Major countries have been mapped according to their individual revenue contribution to the regional market.
• The report provides in-depth analysis of the global ultra-thin glass market forecast for the period 2020–2027.
• The report outlines the current global ultra-thin glass market trends and future estimations of the market from 2019 to 2027 to understand the prevailing opportunities and potential investment pockets. 
• The key drivers, restraints, & market opportunity and their detailed impact analysis are explained in the study.

 Ultra-thin Glass Market Report Highlights