Japan Display Inc. has been on a rough road for the past four business years, during which the Tokyo-based display manufacturing giant has faced an uphill battle in smartphone panel markets and ended each year with a net loss.
Last year was especially devastating, with a record ¥247.2 billion net loss. Yet JDI says it is crafting a strategy to turn around the loss-making trend and strengthen its competitiveness. Some major pillars of that endeavor include taking advantage of the growth potential in automotive displays and a quicker decision-making process under its new in-house company system.
Digital displays are increasingly integrated into vehicle interiors these days and demand is only expected to climb. "If you look at the technologies, the interior will drastically change — meaning how you are using the display today and position of the display today. Now you have to estimate how it will change," which is JDI's strength, said Holger Gerkens, who heads JDI's automotive display business.