The evolution of digital technology has given birth to new digital application products that have made life more convenient and more enjoyable for people all over the world. All digital products require a display interface of some kind in order to show their content; as a result, display interface technology has become a major focus of attention within the IT and electronics sector, with several different technologies vying for dominance. Companies have allocated substantial resources to develop new technologies and applications, working to give humanity as a whole a higher level of visual enjoyment. Among these various different technologies, Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD) products have the advantage of being slim and lightweight with low energy consumption and low radiation; these advantages have enabled TFT-LCD to establish itself as the mainstream display technology.

Chi Mei Optoelectronics (“CMO”) is one of the leading TFT-LCD manufacturers in the world. In the last few years, CMO has even established itself as the world’s leading supplier of large-size LCD TV panel. Mr. Hsu Wen-Lung, the founder of the Chi Mei Group has worked tirelessly to promote the development of the TFT-LCD industry and of the global plastics and chemical industries as a whole, in line with his vision of making products that combine high quality with low cost available to the ordinary consumer. In the early 1990s, Chi Mei Corporation (“CMC”) benefited from the growth of the consumer electronics and IT industry; CMC’s high-quality, low-cost plastics and chemical products made a major contribution to the rapid growth of the global IT industry, and CMC established itself as the world’s largest ABS producer. CMO was established in 1998 with the aim of boosting the penetration rate of LCD products. With the stimulus provided by the worldwide trend towards digitalization, CMO has already become a leading player in the global TFT-LCD industry.

CMO has continued to invest aggressively with the aim of enhancing its competitiveness. CMO has demonstrated particular vigor in its next-generation fab planning . It is expected that the capacity will be increased outstandingly every year in the period of 2005-2007. The rapid pace of innovation in production technology is matched by equally rapid progress in display technology, always with the aim of satisfying consumers with superior LCD TV picture quality.

The formation of industry clusters is an important means for industries to increase their competitiveness. The supply chain in the TFT-LCD industry is an extremely complex one; the question of how to achieve more efficient supply chain integration so as to improve overall performance is of key importance to TFT-LCD panel makers. CMO has for some time now been working aggressively to build an TFT-LCD industry cluster in the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park. Chi Mei’s affiliates began work on the establishment of a 250-hectare “LCD TV and Supporting Industries Industrial Zone” adjacent to the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park. The new zone and the existing optoelectronics companies within the Park will complement one another, helping to enhance the competitiveness of the optoelectronics industry as a whole. Given the key role that CMO plays in the global optoelectronics supply chain, it has a heavy responsibility in this respect. It is our earnest hope that other companies in the industry will work with CMO to help us create a better future for all mankind.