Samsung Display

Samsung Display is one of the world's largest manufacturers of displays for a wide range of electronics. The company is part of Samsung Electronics.

History

2022: Chinese companies force Samsung to shut down LCD production

In mid-June 2022, it became known about Samsung's decision to stop producing liquid crystal displays for TVs and focus on more advanced technologies such as OELD and QD-OLED. According to DigiTimes, the South Korean company refused to release LCD screens due to a drop in their cost and increased competition from Chinese manufacturers offering products at lower prices.

According to the Yonhap news agency and the Maeil Business newspaper, Samsung will finally stop the production of television LCDs at the L8-2 plant (the last site where such screens were made) by the end of June 2022, after which the factory will be stopped and its production equipment will be sold to Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturers.

Chinese companies force Samsung to shut down LCD production

Samsung Display, as well as LG Display, planned to curtail the production of liquid crystal displays and completely switch to the release of organic LED (OLED) screens back in 2020. However, against the background of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and the increased demand for electronics, LCD panels began to rise in price, and the companies postponed their intentions.

With Chinese manufacturers capable of offering cheaper LCD screens, Samsung Display has become less competitive, according to a DigiTimes publication. As a result , Samsung Electronics, which produces TVs and other consumer electronics, has focused on purchasing displays from Chinese suppliers (mainly BOE Technology and China Star Optoelectronics Technology). By June 2022, more than 70% of LCD displays for Samsung TVs are made up of products from manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom. In addition, Samsung Electronics plans to purchase about 4 million panels from LG Display in 2022 .^[1]

2019: The start of mass production of foldable displays

April 10, 2019 Samsung Electronics announced the start of mass production of folding displays. The first such screen was received by the model, global Samsung Galaxy Fold sales of which will begin on April 26. A version with support for - 5G nets will appear on the South Korean market in mid-May 2019. More. here

2018: Employees sold millions of dollars in trade secrets to Chinese

At the end of November 2018, it became known that Samsung Display employees were under investigation due to the illegal sale of organic LED display technology developed by the parent company Samsung Electronics.

South Korean prosecutors said they have charged 11 executives and employees of Toptec, a Chinese-based firm, over industrial espionage and the sale of parts of the manufacturing process to Samsung's Chinese rivals, including allegedly BOE. Both companies received approximately $13.8 million in profits from the successful implementation of the scheme.

According to the investigation, the group of attackers formed a separate false company, which received information about the equipment used and drawings, and then resold them in China. Three of the accused, including the president of Toptec, have been arrested and eight others during the investigation will issue a recognizance not to leave but will not be held in custody.

One of the main partners of Samsung Display, which supplies the company with equipment for the production of displays, was accused of illegally selling the display technologies of the South Korean vendor to Chinese competitors

The prosecutor's office insists that the leak of information led to significant financial damage to the branch of the technology giant Samsung Electronics, which over the past three years has approximately lost about $67 thousand in profit. The alleged leak of information on the technology, which is considered one of the main industrial assets of the country, hit the firm Toptec - its shares fell by 20.17% on November 29 and reached an annual low on November 30, 2018.

In an official statement, the company denied all allegations. The chief executive of Toptec said the company complied with all data privacy arrangements during all 26 years of cooperation with Samsung Display and intends to work with prosecutors to find out the truth.^[2]

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