Denso invests big in OLED display developer JOLED

Denso Corporation has invested 30 billion yen ($270 million / Rs 1,890 crore) in Tokyo-headquartered JOLED Inc, a developer of printed organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays.

The investment accelerates JOLED’s development and mass production of in-vehicle OLED displays, which are used for human-machine interfaces (HMIs) in car cockpits to deliver key driving information to the driver quickly and accurately.

Compared to conventional HMIs, which use thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs), JOLED’s OLED displays offer higher-definition images, more vivid colors, and are designed to be thinner, lighter, and bendable? making them easier to install and produce more optimised light output for improved HMI functionality.

“DENSO’s investment in JOLED directly enhances the advancement of human-machine interfaces technologies which are critical to keeping drivers informed behind the wheel safely,” said Hirotsugu Takeuchi, executive director of DENSO. “Working with JOLED will help us create a new mobility future that’s safer for all, emphasizes efficiency and smartly applies problem-solving innovations to the real world.”

As cars become more connected, more information can be provided to drivers to help them ensure effective road safety. Because of this, there is a growing demand for HMIs that can display information in a more visually appealing, larger, and easier-to-understand format all while encouraging drivers to stay focused on the road. OLED displays enable these characteristics and will continue to gain prominence as HMIs are called upon to deliver improved visibility, more dynamic design and increased operational efficiencies.

JOLED was the first in the world to commercialise printed OLED displays, and the company’s OLED printing method is simpler and more efficient than traditional manufacturing approaches. This investment will enable DENSO to combine its accumulated technology and know-how regarding HMIs with JOLED’s OLED printing, thereby speeding up the development and mass production of various types of OLED displays for instrument clusters, centre-stack displays, and other devices, and thus contribute to the development of more attractive and convenient cockpits.

Denso says it will continue to emphasise the development of its HMI technologies, which underpin the ongoing evolution of vehicles, and seek to create cockpits that streamline interaction
between human and machine to create a society free from road traffic accidents.

JOLED Inc uses its Ishikawa, Kyoto, and Atsugi Technology Development Centers as bases to conduct research, development, manufacturing, and sales activities for OLED displays, their parts, materials, manufacturing equipment, and associated products. JOLED was founded in January 2015, combining the OLED display development divisions of Sony Corporation and Panasonic Corporation, with the goal of
accelerating mass production development and commercialisation of OLED displays.