Joint Venture Announcement in Copper Touch Panel Sensor Business

PRESS RELEASE

Nuremberg, Germany: April 9, 2018 -  VIA optronics GmbH (“VIA”) and Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (“Toppan”) today announced an agreement to form a new joint venture company to serve the market for copper-based metal mesh touch sensors.  Under the agreement, 65% of the shares of Toppan Touch Panel Products Co., Ltd., a newly formed spin-off from Toppan, will be transferred to VIA. The name of the new joint venture company will be VTS-Touchsensor Co., Ltd. (“VTS”).

VTS will develop and manufacture the metal mesh touch sensors in Japan on the existing premises of Toppan. VIA will leverage its years of knowledge and experience of market requirements, system-level design, and production in the automotive, consumer and industrial markets to support further development of the core sensor technology.

Juergen Eichner, CEO of VIA optronics said, “Using the experience of both companies, VTS will provide game changing metal mesh touch sensors to their existing and future customer base. This new venture will also strengthen VIA’s portfolio of differentiated and value-added sensor technology for touch panels, touch-display modules, display head assemblies, and interactive display systems across multiple markets and segments.”

Through VTS, VIA, together with Toppan, jointly will continue to grow business in all market segments, extend touch sensor production line capacity and continuously develop and enhance the technology.

About VIA:

VIA is a leading supplier of interactive display solutions, with core competences in the area of optical bonding for sunlight readability and robustness as well as high-performing touch-display modules. Having its roots in the high-reliability and industrial market segments, the company now serves multiple touch display applications in consumer electronics, automotive and industrial markets.

VIA’s optical bonding technology enables high yield bonding for multiple display application such as thin, lightweight, curved, plastic lens, 3D and large size applications. Now in combination with superior copper-based metal mesh touch technology, VIA is in a strong position to address the growing demand for interactive display solutions in consumer electronics, automotive and industrial display applications.

About Toppan:

Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. is one of the largest Japanese and worldwide printing companies, having businesses in the area of commercial printing, publications, packaging, interior decor and industrial materials, clothing, precision electronic components, securities and business forms, compact discs, and computer processing. The Company operates through three segments: Information & Communication, Living & Industry, and Electronics.

As part of the Electronics segment, Toppan has developed and marketed projected capacitive touch sensors using copper-based metal mesh with low sheet resistance that achieve excellent touch performance and optical quality, and has developed display-related business operations based on these sensors.

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