AUO Corporation (AUO;
Chinese: 友達光電) is a Taiwanese company that specialises in
optoelectronic solutions. It was formed in September 2001 by the merger of Acer Display Technology, Inc. (the predecessor of AUO, established in 1996) and Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation. AUO offers display panel products and solutions, and in recent years expanded its business to smart retail, smart transportation, general health, solar energy,
circular economy and smart manufacturing service.[2]
AUO employs 38,000 people.
History
August 1996 Acer Display Technology, Inc. (the predecessor of AUO) was founded
September 2000 Listed at Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation
September 2001 Merged with Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation to form AUO
October 2006 Merged with Quanta Display Inc.
December 2008 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
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
June 2013 G8.5 Fab in Houli received Taiwan's first Diamond Certification for Green Factory Building
November 2013 Named to 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
May 2015 Ranked among the top 5% companies in the first Corporate Governance Evaluation released by Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE)
December 2015 Launched Taiwan's first process water full-recycling system
January 2019 Named to Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index since 2018
September 2019 Named to Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since 2010
November 2020 AUO recognized as the world’s first display maker to have obtained the UL 3600 certification
December 2020 AUO 9.4-inch high resolution flexible micro LED display technology honored with 2020 Innovative Product Award from Hsinchu Science Park
May 2021 AUO received Taiwan’s first ISO 46001 Certification Standard for Water Efficiency Management Systems
May 2021 Established AUO Display Plus, Industrial and Commercial Display Subsidiary of AUO
Sep 2021 AUO, Leader of Fourth Industrial Revolution, Selected for “Global Lighthouse Network” by WEF
Feb 2022 AUO Named Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovators For Outstanding R&D Strength and Flexible IP Strategy
Mar 2022 AUO Joins RE100 Initiative and Commits to 100% Renewable Energy by 2050
October 2023 AUO acquired Behr-Hella Thermocontrol for €600 million (approximately NT$20.4 billion)[3]
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.[4] 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.[5]