Appearing to be strapped for cash, smartphone screen manufacturer Japan Display (JDI) is currently in talks with Chinese panel makers, including BOE, Tianma, and CSOT, over an investment more than  USD 1.8 billion. The Japanese company hopes to seal the deal by the end of March 2018, reported Kyodo News.

Sumitomo Chemical, the Japan-based chemical giant, is reported to have successfully developed new technologies to facilitate more cost efficient OLED display manufacture. According to Nikkei, the new materials and equipment the company introduced could possibly bring down the current production cost of OLED panels by 50%, which is able to further reduce the selling prices of OLED TVs and expand the penetration of OLED products.  

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display lately has been receiving market attention. Not only have Korean companies been working on the development, but recently, according to BusinessKorea, even Chinese firms have jumped into the competition.

Even though Japan Display has temporarily solved its fundraising deadlock with the aid from a state-backed company in the OLED panel sector, the outlook remains uncertain and there are still challenges ahead before mass production, reported Nikkei Asian Review.

Japan Display Inc. (JDI) intends to acquire Panasonic and Sony’s OLED joint venture JOLED to better compete with Korean rivals and emerging Chinese players, reported Nikkei Asian Review.

JOLED, a new OLED display company founded by Japanese electronic giants Sony, Panasonic and government affiliated Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has started operations in January 2015, according to a Nikkei BP report. OLED is a highly anticipated display material, due to its light weight and flexible properties. Yet, OLED displays have not been widely adopted because of its cost disadvantages compared to LCD panels.