Samsung Display’s strategy is to use its investment in the second complex in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, which it has resumed after 5 years, as a foothold for future growth. Samsung Display CEO Lee Cheong (이청) said at the company’s 14th anniversary ceremony held on Oct. 30 at Samsung Display Research in Giheung, “The investment in the second complex is not simply an expansion of production capacity, but a bold challenge for growth and our future.”

The second complex in Asan is being pushed again 5 years after construction stopped in 2021. It is intended to respond to sharply rising demand for OLEDs for IT uses such as foldables and laptops and tablets. Samsung Display recently placed an order for structural work for A7, a new plant in the second complex. Construction is set to start early next year, and the target completion date is 2028.

Lee defined this year as a business turning point. He said it was a year in which the company faced challenging targets in 8.6-generation OLEDs, foldables and AI devices. “Just as innovation over the past 14 years made today’s Samsung Display, new challenges now will lead our growth,” Lee said.

As a way to break through the crisis, he pointed to fundamentals and technology. Lee stressed that to protect the company’s present and future, it must reaffirm customer trust and technology leadership. He said the condition for survival was differentiated technology that would overwhelm competitors. He also added that the company should build the capability to commercialise products outside its existing business areas and consistently open new markets.