Merck Expands OLED Output in Asia
Merck KGaA is expanding its production of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with a €20 million investment in Asia. Capacity additions are planned at sites in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, and Shanghai, China. The enhanced local capacities are intended to strengthen the German group’s position as a key supplier of high-purity OLED materials for panel makers in the region.
Specifically, the funds will be used to build a new modular production system that facilitates the installation of additional sublimation units to meet market requirements and customer demand. These are key to ensuring highest purity in the growing OLED market, Merck said, underscoring that the purity of OLED materials is one of the most important factors affecting the performance and lifetime of devices using them.
The chemicals, pharmaceuticals and life sciences group is already a global player in the OLEDs market, as well as in other segments of the electronics supply sector. This business is one of its focuses for future growth. Here, it forecasts that new form factors enabled by OLED technology – such as foldable and rollable displays – will continue to penetrate the market.
In 2010, Merck established an OLED Research Center at its Darmstadt headquarters and in 2015 inaugurated an OLED Application Center in Pyeongtaek. In 2016, it opened an additional production plant for OLED materials in Darmstadt. Since 2018, the group has also been supporting Chinese customers in its OLED Technology Center in Shanghai.
“OLED technology is the fastest growing display technology enabling next-generation displays,” said Kai Beckmann, member of the executive board and CEO of the Performance Materials division. By expanding local manufacturing capacities, Merck is well positioned to efficiently produce and deliver higher volumes of OLED materials,” he said, adding that the investment “underscores our commitment to creating an agile supply chain for our customers in Asia.”
Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist
