LG Display to announce OLED roadmap

By Kim Yoo-chul

LG Display will announce a revised business strategy focusing on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays next week, officials said Wednesday.

In an invitation letter sent to local reporters, the world’s biggest display manufacturer said it will hold a press conference on Aug. 17 at its display complex in Paju near the inter-Korean border, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of producing displays.

Its CEO Han Sang-beom will answer questions.

The LG Group’s display affiliate will reveal its strategy for local partners and suppliers to create an OLED ecosystem.

Officials say the conference will highlight LG’s commitment to the OLED business and on why OLEDs are the best alternative as next-generation displays replacing conventional liquid crystal display (LCD) panels.

LG Display may separately announce new investments in OLEDs to maintain its lead over international rivals.

A company spokesman said it is in the final stages of fixing the details of the upcoming announcement.

Unlike Samsung Display, which is making a heavy bet on small-sized OLEDs for use in its Galaxy devices lineup, LG Display is focused on large-sized OLED panels to be used in televisions.

As LG Display is the only LG Group affiliate to directly and effectively compete with a Samsung Group affiliate, it is trying to create an OLED Camp with leading Chinese and Japanese TV manufacturers.

“LCD was the mainstream in the industry two decades ago; however, we believe OLED will be the mainstream in the next two decades as the displays can be bent, curved and twisted according to applications,” said one official.

CEO Han was named as a keynote speaker at this year’s IFA technology fair in Berlin, Germany, in the first week of September. Han will talk about the future of displays and how OLEDs can change people’s daily life and reshape industries.