TV LCD
BOE in China is in a pursuit of Samsung Display and LG Display in the sector of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) for TVs.
According to WitsView, a market research company on January 30, LG Display sold 52.94 million panels and Samsung Display shipped 46.8 million large-sized LCD panels, ranking first and second respectively, last year.
But their shipments fell 4.3% and 8.1% from 2015, respectively. In particular, Samsung Display's shipments fell sharply as large LCD panel production lines were turned into small and medium-sized organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels.
BOE of China produced 43.64 million copies which was 22.4% more than the previous year, ranking third after outclassing the Taiwanese Innolux for the first time.
Last year, BOE significantly increased the production capacity of its 8.5 generation (substrate size: 2,200 × 2,500㎜) factory in Chongqing, China. The Chongqing factory produces 49-inch and 55-inch LCD panels. Innolux rolled out 41.13 million units, down 19.3 percent from the previous year, slipping down to fourth place.
China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) also posted production of 33.39 million units, up 29.3% year-on-year, placing fifth. While the outputs of the traditional powerhouses of Korea and Taiwan were contracting, China’s BOE and CSOT are emerging.
BOE is pushing for aggressive investment and its gaps with Korean companies are expected to narrow further. BOE is building a 10.5-generation (3,370 × 2,940㎜) LCD production line with the goal of beginning to operate it in 2018.