The Society for Information Display (SID) and the Government of Brazil today announced they will cooperate to bolster Brazil’s growing flat-panel display (FPD) industry and encourage continued display advancements throughout Latin America. The multi-faceted partnership effort aims to heighten R&D efforts, strengthen education and awareness, and support the exchange of ideas and expertise through conferences, seminars and other programs.

This announcement times with Display Week, SID’s 47^th annual weeklong International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition, the premier venue for the global electronic display industry to unveil its latest advances.

“On behalf of the members of SID, I can say that we’re pleased that Brazil has chosen to collaborate with SID as a means of promoting this important initiative. As a world-recognized leader and authority in the display industry, SID is in a position to forge connections with the Brazilian government, academic and research institutions, and major electronic systems manufacturers worldwide,” said SID President Paul Drzaic. "We have long had a presence in Brazil through our Latin American chapter, and have produced the LatinDisplay conference for the past 15 years. This announcement represents the next logical step in assisting the continued evolution of Brazil’s display industry, and we look forward to working with our colleagues in Brazil in developing a vibrant information display manufacturing and development infrastructure.”

Dr. Augusto Gadelha, Brazil’s Secretary for Information Technology Policy, added, “I am certain that this cooperation with SID will be paramount to strengthening the dissemination of technological knowledge and streamlining relations between Brazil and the international display community.”

Key components of the joint effort will include:

• Spotlighting key technological challenges and opportunities for companies and institutions engaged in display activities;
• Identifying promising R&D project opportunities for Brazilian universities, institutions and corporations;
• Proposing joint national or international R&D partnerships;
• Organizing and promoting domestic and international conferences, workshops, seminars and exhibitions, including LatinDisplay;
• Supporting on-site seminars at institutions, companies, schools and universities;
• Developing an exchange program for local and international display experts, researchers and students; &
• Providing SID literature translated into Portuguese, the country’s official language.

Both parties report that this collaboration will bring exciting possibilities to the nation of Brazil and for Latin America as a whole, given the sizable role the country plays in the Latin American economy. Despite current global economic challenges, Brazil has a consistent and dynamic economy – the world’s ninth largest – with a solid banking system, a resilient and lean corporate sector, an expanding domestic market and a stable democracy.

Since 2007, Brazil has been preparing a set of incentives to boost its local industrial and technological activities for the FPD sector. Its long-term industrial Production Development Policy (PDP) is two-fold, involving both established technologies like liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and emerging technologies, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and flexible displays. Tools for investors include funding and grants, as well as special tax exemptions aimed at global companies willing to take advantage of Brazil’s fast-growing domestic market. In the display segment, the country is ranked among the top five world markets for TVs and computers (together, just under 25 million units in 2008), yet the country currently imports all its FPDs. Government officials anticipate that this collaboration with SID will spark increased vitalization of Brazil’s efforts in FPDs and advanced displays.

Created to provide attendees with new opportunities to address the requirements of the Latin American countries’ fast-growing economies, SID’s successful LatinDisplay conferences cover recent advances and trends in displays and related technologies (including solar cells), their materials, processes, equipment and applications. At last year’s LatinDisplay, in November 2008, industrial challenges for Brazil were highlighted as part of the Brazilian government having recently cited displays as a strategic sector to be supported. LatinDisplay 2009, to be co-organized by SID, will be held November 16-19, in São Paulo City.

Secretary Paulo Chuc, Deputy Consul of the Brazilian Consulate in Houston will be presenting on this recent collaboration on June 2 at Display Week 2009, just prior to the morning keynote addresses that will kick off the week. Display Week 2009 will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center from May 31 – June 5. For more information, please visit www.sid2009.org.

Display Week Contact Information:

• Media interested in attending Display Week, please contact Marie Labrie at mlabrie@mcapr.com

About SID

The Society of Information Display (SID) is the only professional organization focused on the display industry. In fact, by exclusively focusing on the advancement of electronic-display technology, SID provides a unique platform for industry collaboration, communication and training in all related technologies while showcasing the industry’s best new products. With more than 6,000 members worldwide, the organization’s members are professionals in the technical and business disciplines that relate to display research, design, manufacturing, applications, marketing and sales. To promote industry and academic technology development, while also educating consumers on the importance of display technology, SID hosts more than ten conferences a year, including their annual showcase event Display Week, which brings emerging companies, display giants, industry and academia all under one roof to showcase technology that will shape the future. SID’s global headquarters are located at 1475 S. Bascom Ave., Ste. 114, Campbell, CA 95008. For more information, visit www.sid.org.