Universal Display Contracts with Duksan Hi-Metal to Provide Manufacturing Services for OLED Host Material in Korea

Universal Display Corporation and Duksan Hi-Metal Company Limited announced that the companies have entered into a master services agreement to enhance Universal Display’s local presence and expansion in Korea. As the first initiative under the agreement, Duksan will provide manufacturing services for one of Universal Display’s host products for certain Korean customers. Universal Display and Duksan will also explore additional areas for collaboration to better serve and support the needs of the growing Korean OLED industry.

“We are very happy to cooperate with Universal Display. This agreement will be mutually beneficial to both companies and it is expected that there will be substantial synergy effects between both of us, global leaders in the OLED material industry,” said Byoung Joo Kang, CEO of Duksan Hi-Metal. “There’s no doubt that especially both companies will contribute to the development of the OLED industry through the works derived from two companies long mass-production experience and technical know-how.”

“We are very pleased to announce this strategic collaboration with Duksan Hi-Metal, a leading Korean-based manufacturer of electronic materials for the OLED industry. Duksan has built a very impressive team and a state-of-the-art OLED manufacturing facility to produce cost-effective OLED products using high-quality manufacturing standards,” said Steven V. Abramson, president and CEO at Universal Display. “It is important to grow our company’s local presence in Korea, and this new relationship helps support the growth of Universal Display’s high-performance products and the expansion of OLED manufacturing infrastructure in Korea.”

Duksan Hi-Metal is a leading company in high-performance OLED technology and material in terms of Hole Transport Layer (HTL) material, and also has a state-of-art OLED manufacturing facility with a ton-based capacity.

Universal Display is the recognized leader in high-performance, energy-efficient phosphorescent OLED technology and materials that offer up to four times the efficiency of conventional OLED technology. The AMOLED market, with much of its existing and anticipated OLED manufacturing base located in Korea, is estimated to double again to almost $6 billion this year. This relationship with Duksan in Korea complements Universal Display’s long-term exclusive materials manufacturing relationship with PPG Industries and will bring Universal Display closer to its customer base, enhancing its ability to support their current and future needs.

Universal Display and Duksan also announced that they have mutually agreed to seek dismissal of all pending patent invalidation proceedings involving the two companies in Korea.