Economic downturn casts pall over Touch Taiwan
Economic downturn casts pall over Touch Taiwan
2023-04-19
The 2023 Touch Taiwan exhibition is underway, featuring cutting-edge display panels for sectors like automotive, retail, and art. But the panel industry has been struggling since last year due to a global economic slump. On Tuesday, AUO Corporation says it will adjust its production lines. Meanwhile, Innolux has decided not to issue dividends due to losses. Instead, it will offer a cash capital reduction of NT$4.778 billion, to give back NT$0.5 per share to their 570,000 shareholders.
The 2023 Touch Taiwan exhibition opened on Wednesday with 295 participating companies. This year’s highlights are cross-industry applications, such as AUO’s 55-inch curved automotive display, which uses eye-tracking technology to detect driver fatigue. The display for the front passenger seat features switchable privacy technologies, to avoid diverting the driver’s attention.
Innolux, a leading panel manufacturer, used 660 lightboxes and 2,080 9-inch light panels to create an immersive exhibition space. It’s also unveiled display solutions for the retail sector and art galleries. But amid an industry downturn that began last year, Innolux has suffered several consecutive quarters of losses. It’s decided not to pay dividends, but to implement a cash capital reduction of NT$4.778 billion. This would give its 575,000 shareholders a payback of NT$0.5 per share.
Jim Hung
Innolux chairman
Performance in the second and third quarters should be better than the first’s, as the economy recovers and clients restock inventory. The highest inventories have already dipped to their lowest levels. Because of last year’s losses, we can’t distribute a surplus, but we want to return cash to our shareholders through a capital reduction.
AUO expects demand for TV panels to recover quarter by quarter. AUO also addressed reports that it planned to adjust capacity for some production lines.
Paul Peng
AUO chairman
We will make dynamic adjustments according to the economic climate. Of course some of our older factories have a limited lifespan. The other thing is that their overall competitiveness, their carbon emissions factor, are worse than that of newer factories. So we are upgrading them, or “emptying the cages to change the birds.”
As for the recent water shortage in the south, AUO said it was not hurting production.
Paul Peng
AUO chairman
We recycle up to 95% of the water we use in the process of energy, power, and water consumption. Even with the recent water shortage, we have a sufficient supply for our use. We have not been affected by the water shortage.
In the face of the drought, summer power needs, and global economic challenges, businesses hope for resolution and relief to come quickly.
連四季虧損 群創不配息.現金減資
2023-04-19
顯示器產業年度盛事"Touch Taiwan"盛大登場，今年展場亮點包含跨產業運用，像是車用、零售、展演都是未來商機。只不過面板業從去年開始，面臨景氣挑戰、庫存調整，面板雙虎的友達產線調整，群創則是因為虧損，決定不配息，現金減資47.78億，預計57萬多股東受到影響。
2023年Touch Taiwan智慧顯示展19號盛大開幕，共有295家廠商參展。今年亮點在跨產業運用，友達打造55吋車用曲面顯示器，能夠利用視線追蹤，偵測駕駛是否疲勞駕駛，副駕在用娛樂功能時，也有主動式防窺，防止駕駛看到分心。
面板大廠群創，使用660個燈箱和2080個9吋燈板，打造沈浸式展演環境。另外，運用在零售和藝術品展覽的顯示器，也是未來商機。只不過產業從去年開始面臨不景氣，群創連幾季虧損，最後決議不配息，選擇現金減資發47.78億，每股退0.5元，要回饋57.5萬股東。
[[群創董事長 洪進揚]]
“第2季到第3季應該，都會比第一季有更好表現，隨著景氣的復甦，還有客戶在補庫存的動作，高庫存已經降到最低的水位，(去年) 虧損的關係，沒辦法用盈餘分派，但希望能透過用減資的方式，一樣把現金補款還給股東”
友達預估，電視面板需求逐季回升，只不過最近傳出產能調整，董事長彭双浪也有回應。
[[友達董事長 彭双浪]]
“會隨景氣來做動態調整，當然，有一些老舊的廠，使用年限，還有第二個，是它的整體競爭力，單位碳排係數是比新廠高，所以我們在做一些騰籠換鳥”
至於最近南部缺水，是否影響面板廠生產。
[[友達董事長 彭双浪]]
“耗能跟耗電、耗水的過程，水回收率達到95%，即使最近缺水，我們還是有足夠，充分供應來讓我們自己使用，我們並沒有收到缺水的影響”
面對缺水、夏季用電和全球景氣問題，業者盼一一解決，復甦盡快到來。
Related News
