Samsung heir shows support for large displays
Lee says risk comes with opportunities
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong said that the company shouldn’t give up on large displays despite the adversity it faces in the LCD panel business.
On his fourth such onsite visit this month, Lee told executives at Samsung Display’s Asan plant in South Chungcheong Province on Aug. 26 that technological superiority is the only way to guarantee survival. He also stressed that as risk is accompanied by opportunities, Samsung must not give up on large-sized panels: “We must not give up on this sector on account of the slumping LCD industry.”
Industry watchers interpreted the remarks to mean that bold investment is needed to overcome the crisis posed by competition from large-sized LCD panels from China.
The Samsung heir was at the Samsung plant to check the mid to long-term business strategies, and also future plans such as new technologies and product development.
His entourage included Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam of the Digital Solution division, Samsung Display CEO Lee Dong-hoon and Kim Seong-cheol, head of the small and mid-sized display business.
Samsung Display is currently developing QD-based large-sized OLED panels for TVs to diversify itsportfolio. This particular project, codenamed ‘Project C,’ is cited as one of Lee Jae-yong’s pet projects.
Industry watchers believe Samsung will switch some of its LCD lines in the L8 plant on the Asan 1 Campus in South Chungcheong Province to large-sized OLED lines in the third quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, in smaller displays, Samsung is betting big on foldables; it plans to replace the CPI for the current mass produced foldable displays with UTG next year.
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