AU Optronics

AU Optronics (AUO; Chinese: 友達光電) is a company in Taiwan that specialises in optoelectronic solutions. It was formed in September 2001 by the merger of Acer Display Technology, Inc. (the predecessor of AUO, established in 1996) and Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation. AUO offers display panel products and solutions, and in recent years expanded its business to smart retail, smart transportation, general health, solar energy, circular economy and smart manufacturing service.[1]

AU Optronics Corporation
Native name
友達光電
TypePublic company
TSE: 2409
IndustryElectronics
Founded12 August 1996
HeadquartersHsinchu, Taiwan
Key people
Paul SL Peng (Chairman and CEO)
Frank Ko(President and COO)
RevenueNT$307.63 billion (2018)
Number of employees
40,000
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese友達光電
Simplified Chinese友达光电
Websiteauo.com

AUO employs 40,000 people.

History
  • August 1996 Acer Display Technology, Inc. (the predecessor of AUO) was founded
  • September 2000 Listed at Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation
  • September 2001 Merged with Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation to form AUO
  • October 2006 Merged with Quanta Display Inc.
  • December 2008 Entered solar business
  • March 2009 G8.5 Fab in Taichung recognized as world's first LEED Gold certified TFT-LCD facility
  • June 2009 Joint venture with Changhong in Sichuan, China to set up module plant
  • April 2010 Joint venture with TCL in China to set up module plant
  • July 2010 Acquired AFPD Pte., Ltd.("AFPD"), subsidiary of Toshiba Mobile Display Co., Ltd. in Singapore
  • May 2011 G8.5 Fab in Houli recognized as world's first LEED Platinum certified TFT-LCD facility
  • June 2011 Acquired world's first ISO 50001 certification for manufacturing facilities
  • February 2012 OLED strategic alliance formed with Idemitsu in Japan
  • July 2012 Acquired world's first ISO 14045 eco-efficiency assessment of product systems verification
  • June 2013 G8.5 Fab in Houli received Taiwan's first Diamond Certification for Green Factory Building
  • November 2013 Named to 2013 / 2014 Ocean Tomo 300® Patent Index
  • April 2014 Initiated new model of solar power plant operation by founding Star River Energy Corporation
  • May 2014 CSR Report acquired Taiwan's first GRI G4 certificate among the manufacturing industry
  • May 2015 Ranked among the top 5% companies in the first Corporate Governance Evaluation released by Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE)
  • December 2015 Launched Taiwan's first process water full-recycling system
  • January 2019 Named to Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index since 2018
  • September 2019 Named to Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since 2010

Controversies
Main article: TFT-LCD (Flat Panel) Antitrust Litigation

In September 2012, AUO was sentenced to pay a US$500 million criminal fine for its participation in a five-year conspiracy to fix the prices of thin-film transistor LCD panels sold worldwide. Its American subsidiary and two former top executives were also sentenced.[2] The two executives were sentenced to prison and fined for their roles in the conspiracy. The $500 million fine matches the largest fine imposed against a company for violating U.S. antitrust laws. In July 2014, the Ninth Circuit rejected AUO's appeal of the fine.[3]

Shareholding and subsidiaries
  • Lextar Electronics Corporation
  • Qisda Corporation
  • Darwin Precision Corporation
  • Daxin Materials Corporation
  • AUO Crystal Corporation
  • Toppan CFI
  • Fargen Power Corporation

References
  1. "About AU OPTRONICS".
  2. Daly, Erin (20 September 2012). "AU Optronics Fined $500M, Execs Jailed For LCD Price-Fixing". Law 360. Portfolio Media, Inc. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  3. Ingram, David (10 July 2014). "U.S. court rejects AU Optronics appeal of $500 million fine" – via Reuters.
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