Japanese home appliance manufacturer Sharp Corp (Osaka; www.sharp-world.com) has announced plans to invest JPY 57.4 bn (EUR 502m) in its OLED screen business. The company, which was acquired by contract electronics manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group (New Taipei / Taiwan; www.foxconn.com) in August, said it will build pilot production lines for OLED displays at its site in Mie and Osaka, both in Japan. Start-up is expected between April and June 2018.

OLED displays can be thinner, brighter and more colourful than LCD displays, and therefore their market share in products such as smart phones, automotive displays and flat-screen TVs is expected to expand, Sharp said in a statement. In addition, the development of flexible OLED displays that can be rolled up or bent will help drive innovation in display products, and contribute to the creation of new markets, the company said.