According to research of the Taipei-based Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) conducted as part of the ITIS project, worldwide e-reader shipment volume is expected to reach 3.05 million units in 2009 and is forecast to reach 19.76 million units in 2013. The shipment volume CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) for the period 2008-2013 is expected to amount to 78.2%. Worldwide shipment value of e-readers is expected to reach US$749 million in 2009 and is forecast to reach US$4.16 billion by 2013. The shipment value CAGR is expected to amount to 71.9% for the period 2008-2013.

With key e-reader vendors such as Amazon and Sony aggressively developing the market and the growing environmental awareness among consumers in recent years, demand for non-paper electronic reading devices has surfaced. According to MIC Senior Industry Analyst David Chen, "the usage scope of e-readers has already expanded from leisure reading to work document reading and study-related reading. Among e-reader users, there is demand for touch writing input, memory card slots, relatively large-sized displays, and personal virtual library functions."

MIC forecasts that the focus of e-reader display technology competition will evolve from paper-like visual reading experience to book-like reading experience, including visual, touch and even hearing aspects. Key elements in this competition will be image processing, color display, touch control to turn pages, and writing input.

In the coming years, value in the e-reader industry supply chain is expected to move from software-, content- and service-related areas to hardware-related e-reader production and assembly processes. This will involve e-reader contract production, monochrome e-reader display, color e-reader display, driver IC, controller IC, USB controller IC, and wireless communication IC companies.

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About MIC

Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC), based in Taipei, Taiwan, was founded in 1987. MIC is Taiwan's premier IT industry research and consulting firm providing intelligence, in-depth analysis, and strategic consulting services on global IT product and technology trends, focusing on markets and industries in Asia-Pacific. MIC is part of the Institute for Information Industry. https://mic.iii.org.tw/english

About ITIS

The Industry and Technology Intelligence Services (ITIS) project is managed by the Department of Industrial Technology of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs. As part of the project, research is conducted in a variety of fields, including the ICT sector. The project serves both the public and private sector.