Automotive touch display driver integrator shipments are expected to reach 55 million in 2023

Touch and display driver integrators (TDDIs) will account for more than 50% of automotive touch module shipments from 2026 onward.

Low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) LCDs with touch and display driver integration (TDDI) are a major development focus for the automotive market. The key selling points of LTPS LCDs with TDDI are the lower cost of in-cell integration, smaller system boards, slimmer borders, and higher brightness. LTPS LCDs are preferred for TDDI because it is good for gate driver-on arrays (GOA) and offers higher resolution, lower power consumption, and better performance. However, Amorphous silicon (a-Si) LCDs are still the leading technology for automotive displays. Chinese panel makers are also promoting a-Si LCD with TDDI technology.

With the sizes of automotive center stack displays (CSDs) growing, the cost of add-on touch sensors is also increasing by display size. On the other hand, as yield rates improve, in-cell touch displays cost less than touch sensors. Also, in-cell touch saves costs and reduces reliability issues caused by lamination. As a result, car makers are increasing their demand for in-cell touch. Omdia estimates that in-cell TFT LCD TDDIs will account for more than 50% of automotive touch module shipments from 2026 onward.

Automotive TDDI shipments reached 36 million in 2022 and are forecast to reach 55 million in 2023
Despite a 10% year-over-year (YoY) decline in global display driver IC (DDIC) market demand in 2022, the automotive driver IC demand exhibited significant growth. Shipments in the automotive sector reached 489 million that year, with automotive TDDI shipments reaching 36 million—six times higher than in 2021 (as shown in Table 1) 

Table 1: Global automotive TDDI shipments forecast (millions of units), 2021–30

Automotive TDDI shipments declined quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) in 1Q23 because of the exacerbated price competition for electric vehicles (EVs), which led major Chinese automakers to drastically cut production and enforce stringent cost control measures. However, automotive TDDI shipments still grew by 39% YoY in 1H23.
Omdia expects total automotive TDDI shipments to reach 55 million in 2023, a significant 53% YoY growth, and will continue to see double-digit growth until 2027.

Himax leads the automotive TDDI market

Himax has the largest share of the market, accounting for 41%, and also leads the automotive DDIC market, which includes both TDDI and traditional DDICs. Himax ships automotive DDICs to nearly all panel makers, and the automotive business is its largest revenue contributor.

On the other hand, most of Novatek’s automotive drivers are traditional DDICs, with TDDIs accounting for a small share of the company’s display drivers. All FocalTech and Synaptics automotive drivers are automotive TDDIs.

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