In a recent interview, Wang Dongsheng, chairman of BOE, revealed that the Chinese company is considering providing financial support to Japan Display Inc. (JDI), which is in the process of restructuring its operations. The cost of setting up mass production for OLED panels used in smartphones is estimated to be as high as 20 billion yen. JDI has been actively seeking potential partners to assist with funding, and BOE is seen as one of the most likely candidates.
BOE, a state-owned enterprise in China, has grown into one of the world's leading manufacturers of LCD panels, backed by strong government support. Recently, it announced plans to invest 1.6 trillion yen in building a new OLED plant in Chengdu, further expanding its presence in the display market.
JDI specializes in small and medium-sized low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) panels, and it is a key supplier of iPhone display panels for Apple. On the other hand, BOE focuses on OLED panels for mobile devices. While LTPS technology can be used in OLED backplanes, BOE does not necessarily need JDI’s large-scale LTPS production capacity. Instead, the main interest lies in acquiring JDI’s LTPS technology.
If BOE were to take a stake in JDI, it could mirror the strategy of another Chinese panel maker, Tianma, which partnered with NEC in Japan to gain access to OLED technology. However, whether BOE should invest heavily in JDI’s production facilities remains uncertain. Currently, BOE lacks in-house OLED technology, and acquiring JDI’s expertise could position it as the second major supplier of OLED panels for Apple after South Korean companies. This move would also allow BOE to become a full-service panel manufacturer with a diverse range of technologies.
With the global demand for flexible and high-quality displays on the rise, BOE’s strategic interest in JDI highlights the growing competition in the display industry. Whether this partnership will materialize remains to be seen, but it signals a significant shift in the balance of power among global panel manufacturers.
Niimoo Innovative (HK) CO., LIMITED , https://www.niimootech.com