[October 21, 2012] Sharp to boost latest LCD panel production to rebuild business Tweet (Japan Economic Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) OSAKA, Oct. 21 -- (Kyodo) _ Sharp Corp. will increase production bases for its latest liquid crystal display panels, in an effort to turn around its flagging LCD business with the competitive product, industry sources said Sunday. The company's "IGZO" power-saving panels with enhanced picture quality are currently produced only at its No. 2 panel plant in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture. It aims to gear up for a growth in demand by converting its LCD plant in Tenri, Nara Prefecture, to produce the new panels, they said. The Kameyama plant is expected to focus on the indium gallium zinc oxide LCD panels for notebook and tablet computers by signing long-term deals with Lenovo Group Ltd., Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., while the plant in Tenri will mainly churn out smaller panels for smartphones, according to the sources. Sharp, currently the only company capable of mass-producing IGZO panels, has already started reorganizing lines at the Tenri plant to start full-scale production of the panels as early as this year. If demand for the panels grows, the company will consider producing small-sized panels for smartphones also in Kameyama, they said. IGZO panels consume 10 percent to 20 percent of the power required by conventional panels and are better suited for touch screen operation. (c) 2012 Kyodo News International, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]