AU Optronics

AU Optronics Corporation
友達光電
Public company
Traded as NYSE: AUO
Industry Electronics
Founded August 12, 1996
Headquarters Hsinchu, Taiwan
Key people
 Paul SL Peng (chairperson)
(Chairman and CEO)
Michael Tsai
(President and COO)
Revenue $12.9 billion USD (2014)
Number of employees
 45,000
Website auo.com
AU Optronics
Traditional Chinese 友達光電
Simplified Chinese 友达光电
AU Optronics B154EW02

AU Optronics (abbreviation: AUO) is an electronics manufacturer in Taiwan that specialises in TV panel manufacturing. It was formed in September 2001 by the merger of Acer Display Technology, Inc. (the former of AUO, established in 1996) and Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation. In October 2006, AUO acquired Quanta Display Inc. AUO manufactures LCD panels from 1.4 to 85 inches in size. AUO was listed in the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) in 2000 and was also the first pure TFT-LCD manufacturer to have been listed at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 2002. AUO entered the solar energy industry in 2008.

AUO employs 45,000 people.

History

  • August 1996 Acer Display Technology, Inc. (the former of AUO) was founded
  • September 2000 Listed at Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation
  • September 2001 Merged with Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation to form AUO
  • May 2002 Listed at NYSE
  • October 2006 Merged with Quanta Display Inc.

Milestones

  • September 2001 Merged with Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation to form AUO
  • May 2002 Listed at NYSE
  • October 2006 Merged with Quanta Display Inc.
  • December 2008 Officially 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
  • May 2010 Jointly invested in solar cell manufacturing facility in Malaysia with SunPower from the U.S.
  • 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
  • September 2012 Fined $500 million for price fixing violations. Former top executives Hsuan Bin Chen and Hui Hsiung jailed for three years.[1]
  • March 2013 Presented Taiwan's first Zero Liquid Discharge Solution
  • June 2013 G8.5 Fab in Houli received Taiwan's first Diamond Certification for Green Factory Building
  • November 2013 Honored with 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
  • September 2014 Named to Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for five consecutive years
  • May 2015 Ranked among the top 5% companies in the first Corporate Governance Evaluation released by Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE)
  • September 2016 Exited the solar cell manufacturing joint venture with SunPower, by selling AU Optronics' portion to SunPower for $170 million[2]

Controversies

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. 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. ↑ Daly, Erin (20 September 2012). "AU Optronics Fined $500M, Execs Jailed For LCD Price-Fixing". Law 360. Portfolio Media, Inc. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  2. ↑ Watanabe, Chisaki, "SunPower to Acquire AUO’s Stake in Malaysian Solar Cell Venture", Bloomberg Markets
  3. ↑ Ingram, David (10 July 2014). "U.S. court rejects AU Optronics appeal of $500 million fine" – via Reuters.
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