TCL CSOT, according to Korea’s Electronic Times, is actively pursuing the relocation of facilities and equipment from Japan’s JOLED, a joint venture between Sony and Panasonic, to China. The move is aimed at harnessing JOLED’s inkjet printing technology. JOLED filed for bankruptcy in April of this year, and is in the process of reorganizing itself. The equipment may be up for grabs, but the IP of the company has already been transferred to JDI.
TCL CSOT and JOLED had formed an alliance in 2020 to jointly develop large-sized OLEDs for televisions. That resulted in a near $180 million underwriting of investments in JOLED and the acquisition of a 10.76% stake by TCL CSOT. TCL CSOT’s own inkjet printing technology has been the focus of its showcases at various events this year, including Display Week 2023. It seems very likely that TCL CSOT is merely protecting its own investment in the company, and in the meantime, it may be able to circumvent US sanctions to get its hands on some cutting edge production tools. But, more importantly, the company can add mid-size OLED panel capacity at bargain prices. It’s unlikely that the equipment is going used by any other company in Japan, at least.
