Two leading Taiwan and Korean companies will joint forces to make PDPs

Dec. 22, 2000

Sampo Corp. of Taiwan, an old and leading brand name of home appliances, plans to conclude a strategic alliance with the Samsung Group, a leading electronic company and the largest plasma display panel maker, to jointly develop this product in Taiwan early in 2001, according to the Chinese language Commercial Times.

Under their initial agreement, Samsung is expected to help Sampo to establish a PDP production line at its Taiwan plant, with an estimated production of 10,000 PDPs in the first year. The two parties will also establish an research center to develop PDP modules.

PDPs are major parts for flat screen high profile TVs with a suitably high price. Sampo has begun to export such television sets, at present to the United States, and sees a potential market there. Therefore, the manufacture of PDPs in Taiwan will increase the depth of production and lead to competitiveness on the world market. At present, all PDP products used in Taiwan production are supplied by Japanese makers.

In the years ahead, the Commercial Times stated, local TV manufacturers need to be able to exploit new products and new markets not only to develop, but just to stay in business. Local industry analysts were quoted as saying that Sampo's move is expected to attract other home appliance makers to follow suit to cooperate with foreign companies with key components and parts makers to transfer their unique techniques to Taiwan companies.