Panasonic will move a part of its plasma display production facilities to meet rising demand in China.
The company 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.
PPDS, established in January 2001 as a joint venture between Panasonic, then called Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., and Shanghai City, commenced operations in December of the same year and has been engaged in production of plasma display panels and assembling TV sets.
The company produces 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 maximise 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 move will also serve to improve cost competitiveness across its group.