Toshiba Corp. and Panasonic Corp. have announced that the two companies had signed a share transfer agreement under which Toshiba will acquire all of Panasonic's 40% shares in Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology, a joint venture that develops, manufactures and sells liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light emitting displays (OLEDs).

Established in 2002, TMD is an industry leader in small- and medium-sized LCDs for application in such products as mobile phones, portable PCs and in-vehicle displays. However, the company is now facing a very tough business environment: weak demand that is sharply down from last year, and continuous price erosion in small- and medium-sized LCD panels. In these circumstances, and as part of the action programs to improve profitability announced by Toshiba this January, TMD is now implementing restructuring initiatives in its LCD business, including closing certain manufacturing lines.

After completion of the share transfer transaction, TMD will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toshiba Group, and will change its name to Toshiba Mobile Display Company. The share transfer is scheduled to take place on April 28. Acquiring Panasonic's stake in TMD will allow Toshiba to further accelerate decision-making and promote comprehensive restructuring of TMD's business.

Looking to the future, TMD aims to establish OLEDs as an engine for growth and to enhance its display business in the medium- to long-term.

Tags: Toshiba, Panasonic