LG Display has received a contract from the South Korean government to develop stretchable displays, Display Daily reported Thursday.

The contract, which was extended by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), is aimed at developing "stretchable display products with a 20 percent elongation rate" by 2024.

The venture is expected to apply to such applications as "multi-foldable smart devices, wearable devices… and auto and aviation displays that overcome design constraints caused by curved surfaces."

"LG Display will develop stretchable displays, a new form factor which could vastly widen the scope of applications that displays can be applied to. In the era of IoT, 5G, and self-driving cars, stretchable displays will play a huge role and we are very pleased and honored to be an important part of the development of these technologies and products,” said Dr. Soo-Young Yoon, Senior Vice President and Head of LG Display Laboratory, said, per the story. 

“Through this R&D project, LG Display looks to contribute to the evolution of future display technologies while solidifying its leadership position in the industry with a portfolio of various next-generation display technologies.”

The stretchable displays stretch much the same way a rubber band does, which goes beyond the foldable and stretchable displays that have come online in recent years.

There have been stretchable displays before. Samsung showed off the world's first such display, back in 2017, which was an actual OLED screen. The Korean lab known as KAIST also showed a stretchable OLED display earlier this spring, per Electronics Weekly. The Display Daily story, however, does not mention OLED technology specifically.

LG Display and LG Electronics are not, technically, the same company. LG Display was formerly a joint venture between LG Electronics and Philips, until Philips exited the venture. The two LG companies trade separately on the Korea Exchange.

LG Display's OLED plant in Guangzhou, China came back online last month following the coronavirus lockdowns, and will provide OLED panels to nearly 20 different manufacturers, including LG Electronics. Also, LG Display is expected to provide panels for the iPhone 12 Max, one of the iPhone models expected to arrive later this year.

Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

Image: Reuters.