2026 has been defined by the industry as the launch year for Micro LED optical interconnects, and global industrial chain alliances are taking shape at a faster pace. On the chip side, BOE has established a research team dedicated to optical interconnect systems and glass carrier board CPO technologies. Its subsidiary HC Semitek has built the world’s first mass production line for 6-inch Micro LED chips, and samples of communication chips were produced and delivered for verification in the second half of 2025. BOE has further signed a three-year cooperation agreement with Corning to advance glass-based packaging substrates and optical interconnect technologies in depth. MTC Optics’ Micro LED light source chips developed for 1.6T to 3.2T optical interconnect demands have entered the sample verification stage. The enterprise has set up a joint CPO laboratory with Hunan Normal University, targeting trial mass production in 2028. On the packaging substrate side, TSMC’s COUPE solution applies 3D heterogeneous integration to vertically stack electronic chips and photonic chips, slated for mass production in the second half of 2026. It doubles power efficiency and slashes latency by 90%, and has been adopted by NVIDIA and Broadcom as early adopters. Vogt Optronics has mastered the full TGV process, and small-batch sample delivery of glass substrates for 1.6T optical modules has been completed. On the system side, Microsoft and MediaTek jointly launched an 800G Micro LED CPO prototype capable of stable transmission over 30 meters, with power consumption merely ranging from 3.1W to 5.3W, over 60% lower than traditional laser solutions. SmartSens displayed a parallel transmission solution above 1Tbps at electronica China 2026, which is expected to hit commercial markets in 2027. Avicena has developed an 896Gbps solution, while ams OSRAM plans to launch its self-developed products in 2027. AUO Optronics unveiled a complete Micro LED CPO module for the first time at Touch Taiwan 2026. Credo has fully stepped into the optical interconnect track through the acquisition of Hyperlume.

Nevertheless, the large-scale application of Micro LED CPO still faces three major challenges. The yield threshold for mass transfer needs to exceed 99.999%, yet the current yield only stands at around 99.9%. Optical coupling alignment requires extremely strict precision; any offset over 0.5μm will cut optical power by more than half. Relevant interface standards are still under formulation, and the entire industry is still in the early exploratory stage. CITIC Securities predicts that large-scale industrial rollout will gradually be realized after 2027. Expanding from display field to photonics, Micro LED is embracing market expansion from hundreds of billions to trillions of US dollars — this may be the most promising industrial story since its birth.

Against the above backdrop, to seize the commanding height of technology and build an independent industrial chain ecosystem, the "2026 China Micro LED CPO Industrial Chain Innovation and Development Summit", co-hosted by JM Insights, CIOE China International Optoelectronic Exposition and IICIE International Integrated Circuit Innovation Expo, will be grandly held on the afternoon of September 9, 2026 at Shenzhen Bao’an International Convention & Exhibition Center. Centered on the theme "Empower Computing with Light, Connect the Future with Chips", the summit gathers core participants from upstream and downstream of the industrial chain to deeply discuss breakthroughs, mass production paths and commercial applications of innovative technologies including Micro LED chips and glass substrates. It aims to build a high-standard, in-depth exchange platform linking enterprises, universities, research institutions and end users, drive China’s Micro LED CPO technologies to shift from "catching up" to "keeping pace" and even "taking the lead", and jointly open a new industrial chapter of the optical interconnect era.