Panasonic vs Sharp in TV panel production

Yasuhiro Takizawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Domestic production of screens for flatscreen TVs has come down to two camps spearheaded by Panasonic Corp. and Sharp Corp. But as these giants prepare to go toe-to-toe, the global financial meltdown has raised doubts about whether they will be able to rake in enough profits to cover their massive investments in new plants. Panasonic will start operations at a 280 billion yen plasma display plant in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, in fiscal 2009, and ramp up annual production of 42-inch plasma panels at its factories to 23 million units, a 2.4-fold increase over current levels. "The panels are our basic materials," said Ken Morita, managing executive officer at Panasonic. "Producing them ourselves will quicken technological advances and help us produce TVs superior to our rivals."... [read full story]