Business Communications Co. Inc. of Norwalk, Conn., predicts that global shipments of electronic display materials will grow by 10.9 percent annually and reach $12.9 billion by 2004. Growth in flat panel display technologies in handheld and large-screen applications is expected to be responsible for nearly 55 percent of that total.

Projections for the value of materials for flat panel displays show growth of 16 percent annually, increasing to $7.1 billion in 2004 from $3.4 billion in 1999. In contrast, materials for cathode-ray tubes are forecast to post more modest annual gains of 6.2 percent and reach $5.8 billion in 2004.