Optical filters are optical components used to control, select, or alter light waves. By filtering or adjusting light based on its wavelength, color, or intensity, optical filters ensure that the target device receives the desired optical signals.
Optical filters are widely used in projectors, cameras, microscopes, LED displays, communications, and medical imaging. They are mainly categorized into bandpass filters (which allow light within specific wavelengths to pass), cutoff filters (which block certain wavelengths), polarizing filters (which control light polarization), and neutral density filters (which reduce light intensity without altering color). These filters enable precise control over optical system performance, enhancing image quality or improving information transmission efficiency.
According to CRI, industrial applications of optical filters are mainly concentrated in imaging and display systems. For example, projector filters enhance the color accuracy and brightness of projections. In the telecommunications sector, filters are used for optical fiber network signal processing. In the medical field, they are utilized in spectral analysis, endoscopes, and laser treatment devices. Additionally, filters are finding applications in emerging fields such as environmental monitoring and quantum communications.
Globally, major producers of optical filters include companies such as Thorlabs from the United States, Asahi Spectra from Japan, and Shenzhen O-Film Tech from China.
In Vietnam, the demand for optical filters has been steadily increasing due to rapid industrialization and manufacturing growth. CRI highlights that Vietnam’s fast-expanding electronics manufacturing industry, driven by multinational companies such as Samsung and LG, significantly fuels the demand for optical filters, especially for display manufacturing and imaging devices. However, Vietnam’s limited capacity for precision optical manufacturing means its filter market primarily relies on imported products.
According to CRI data, Vietnam's total optical filter imports amounted to approximately USD 540 million in 2023. From January to August 2024, imports already exceeded USD 300 million, reflecting a year-on-year growth of about 5%.
CRI’s analysis indicates that, from 2021 to 2024, Vietnam’s main sources of imported optical filters were South Korea, China, and Taiwan. Key exporting companies to Vietnam include Largan Precision Co., Ltd., AGC Inc., and Genius Electronic Optical Co., Ltd..
Major importers of optical filters in Vietnam are manufacturers and distributors in the electronics industry. These include companies such as LG Innotek Vietnam Haiphong Company, Samsung Electro-Mechanics Vietnam, and MCNEX VN, according to CRI analysis.
As Vietnam’s economy develops, industrialization accelerates, and the electronics manufacturing sector expands, the market for optical filters will continue to grow. Due to limited domestic production capacity, CRI predicts that Vietnam's reliance on optical filter imports will persist and increase in the coming years.
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