Date: 25th Aug 2010

Panasonic to move a part of its PDP Production unit to Shanghai, China

Panasonics said it will move a part of plasma display panel production facilities at its third domestic PDP plant in Amagasaki City, near Osaka, to Panasonic Plasma Display (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (PPDS) in Shanghai, China, in responce to the demand for flat-panel TVs in China.

PPDS is a joint venture between Panasonic (then called Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd) and Shanghai City established in January 2001. Panasonic says that the company is producing the equivalent of 25,000 42-inch plasma display panels per month at its plant in Pudong New Area. To accommodate the additional production facility and maximize production efficiencies, PPDS plans to relocate to the nearby Pudong Jinqiao Development Zone. The new production facility plans to commence production with a monthly capacity equivalent to approximately 120,000 42-inch panels in April 2012.

Panasonic says the flat-panel TV market is expected to continue growing globally, exceeding 240 million sets in 2012. China's flat-panel TV market is likely to surpass 50 million units by that time. The demand for plasma TVs with large-screen and high picture quality is also expected to grow in China driven by digital TV broadcasting and increased consumer interest in Full HD 3D plasma TVs.