Sony Forms Joint Venture to Make LCDs Mar 31, 2005

Printable format  Email this Article  Search

Japanese electronics maker Sony Corp. announced that it has formed a joint venture with a Japanese machinery maker to make liquid crystal displays (LCDs) for use in digital cameras and camcorders.

The deal with Toyota Industries Corp. follows one announced in January, when Tokyo-based Sony said it was buying the Japanese subsidiary of Taiwan's Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp.

In the latest deal, Sony took an 80-percent stake in ST Mobile Display Corp., while Toyota Industries, based in Kariya in central Japan, took the remaining stake.

As part of its efforts to revive its electronics business, Sony has been trying to raise in-house production of core devices, such as displays and computer chips.

Sony, which also has music, movie, and video-game businesses, expects demand for small LCDs, to keep growing.

Last year, Sony signed an agreement with South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co., one of the world's largest makers of LCDs, to begin producing next-generation LCDs in 2005. (AP)

Back to Daily News