1910–1929
- 1912
-
- Founder, Tokuji Hayakawa, invents the Tokubijo snap buckle and acquires utility model design patent
- Establishes metalworking shop in Matsui-cho, Honjo-ku, Tokyo (now Shin-ohashi, Koto-ku, Tokyo) on September 15
- 1914
-
- Moves to Hayashi-cho, Honjo-ku, Tokyo (now Tachikawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo)
- Installs one-horsepower electric motor
- 1915
-
- Invents Hayakawa Mechanical Pencil and begins export to the US and Europe
- Establishes Hayakawa Brothers Shokai
- 1920
-
- Establishes branch factory in Oshiage, Tokyo (now Yahiro, Sumida-ku, Tokyo)
- 1923
-
- All factories destroyed during Great Kanto Earthquake
- Dissolves Hayakawa Brothers Shokai and relocates to Osaka
- 1924
-
- Establishes Hayakawa Metal Works in Tanabe-cho, Higashinari-gun, Osaka Prefecture (now the location of the Head Office)
- 1925
-
- Succeeds in assembling first Japan-made crystal radio set; begins mass production and sales
- Establishes sales office in Utsubo, Osaka
- 1926
-
- Begins export of radio sets and components to China, Southeast Asia, India, and South America
- Establishes Tokyo office in Hayashi-cho (Honjo-ku, Tokyo), a former site of the company's factory
- Adopts assembly-line production for radios
- 1927
-
- Holds Sharp radio trade fairs in Kyushu, Japan and Shanghai, China
- 1929
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- Releases AC vacuum-tube radios
1930–1949
- 1930
-
- Hayakawa tours Hong Kong
- Begins attaching repair notices to radios. Retailers would notify the company of repairs they did by sending back these notices to the company.
- 1931
-
- Establishes sales agency in Hong Kong
- 1934
-
- Establishes Shanghai office
- Constructs Hirano Plant in Osaka
- 1935
-
- Hayakawa Metal Works Institute Co. incorporated with capital of 300,000 yen (May 1)
- Youths' School Ordinance issued in Japan
- 1936
-
- Installs intermittent belt conveyor system
- Makes Yokohama Motor Parts Manufacturing a subsidiary
- Changes company name to Hayakawa Metal Works Co.
- Establishes branch offices in Taipei and Seoul
- 1937
-
- Establishes Hayakawa Commercial School for Youth
- 1942
-
- Changes company name to Hayakawa Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
- 1943
-
- Head office building completed
- 1944
-
- Establishes Hayakawa Electric branch factory
- Establishes Izumi Plant in Izumi-cho (now Izumi City), Osaka (sold in 1948)
- 1945
-
- Establishes Kyoto Plant in Shimogyo-ku (now Minami-ku), Kyoto (sold in 1947)
- 1946
-
- Forms labor union
- Designated special accounting company
- 1948
-
- Establishes Sharp Shoji
- 1949
-
- Released from special accounting company designation
- Public stock offering, company listed on Osaka Securities Exchange
1950–1959
- 1950
-
- Plant to employ the visually impaired incorporated as Tokusen Metal Limited Partnership
- Establishes business principles called the Five Accumulations of Competency
- 1951
-
- Successfully develops prototype TV set
- 1952
-
- Begins publication of Sharp News, an information magazine for retailers
- Special bus begins touring the country to advertise Sharp radios and TVs
- Signs cooperative agreement with RCA of the US for TV technology
- Forms Sharp Friends Club to strengthen ties between dealers, retailers, and the company
- 1953
-
- Begins full-scale mass production of first Japan-made TV sets (TV3-14T)
- 1954
-
- Constructs TV plant at the head office (now Tanabe Plant, Osaka) and installs endless conveyor system
- Opens Ikutoku-en nursery school
- 1955
-
- Formulates in-house standards (HS: Hayakawa Standards)
- 1956
-
- Spins off sales division to establish Sharp Electric Co.
- Constructs new building for Osaka Head Office
- Constructs new building for Tokyo Branch in Taito-ku, Tokyo
- 1957
-
- Establishes Tokyo Sharp Geppan to sell Sharp products on monthly installment system; Sharp Geppan companies subsequently established nationwide
- Constructs Hirano Plant No. 2 in Higashi-sumiyoshi-ku (now Hirano-ku), Osaka
- Releases transistor radios
- Establishes laboratory
- 1958
-
- Begins publication of Mado, an in-house magazine
- Sharp Electric merges with Hayakawa Dengyo, a company that sold fluorescent lighting
- Sharp Shoji and QRK Shokai (exclusive Sharp dealer) combined to form Osaka Sharp Sales (regional sales companies subsequently established)
- Institutes Sharp Friend Shop system; Sharp Friend Shop Associations formed nationwide
- 1959
-
- Begins R&D on solar cells
- Constructs Yao Plant as company moves to become a comprehensive consumer electronics manufacturer
- Expands sales network in Southeast Asia by signing dealer agreements with Sampo Electronics and Roxy Electric
1960–1969
- 1960
-
- Constructs Yamato-koriyama Plant No. 1 (now Nara Plant)
- Establishes corporate health insurance association
- Introduces IBM computer at the head office
- 1961
-
- Establishes Central Research Laboratories
- 1962
-
- Establishes Sharp Electronics Corporation (SEC) in the US, the company's first overseas sales base
- Begins mass production of commercial-use microwave ovens (R-10)
- Osaka Municipal Hayakawa Welfare Hall completed with construction funds donated by President Hayakawa
- Builds shrine on Mt. Koya for holding Buddhist memorial services for deceased employees
- 1963
-
- Establishes service company in Osaka
- Company reorganized into three divisions: radio, home appliances, and industrial equipment
- Establishes Sharp Tokyo Product Center
- 1964
-
- Release world's first all-transistor diode electronic desktop calculator (CS-10A) as company moves to become a comprehensive electronics manufacturer
- Builds mass-production line for solar cells
- 1965
-
- Institutes 70 Strategy to strengthen distribution system
- Launches ATOM Unit program
- 1966
-
- Releases home-use microwave oven with a turntable (R-600)
- 1967
-
- Launches 55 Campaign that included Sharp technology fairs to celebrate 55th anniversary of company's founding
- Constructs Hiroshima Plant to mass produce transistor radios
- Sharp Electric absorbed into Hayakawa Electric
- Sharp Electronic Sales Okinawa Corporation established in Okinawa, then under US rule
- 1968
-
- Establishes Hayakawa Electric Europe GmbH (HEEG) (name changed to Sharp Electronics [Europe] GmbH [SEEG] in 1970) as sales base in West Germany
- Holds first Basic Management Policy Conference
- Constructs Tochigi Plant to mass produce color TVs
- Establishes Business Cooperation Centers nationwide
- 1969
-
- Launches MI campaign
- Signs cooperative technical agreement with North American Rockwell Corporation on ICs
- Osaka Municipal Abeno Youth Center completed with construction funds donated by President Hayakawa
- Establishes office equipment sales companies in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya
- Establishes Sharp Electronics (U.K.) Ltd. (SUK) as sales base in the UK
- Develops world's first GND (gallium arsenic negative-resistance light-emitting diode) semiconductor
- Releases world's first electronic calculator incorporating MOS LSIs (QT-8D)
1970–1979
- 1970
-
- Changes company name to Sharp Corporation
- Establishes Sharp Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. (name changed to Sharp Manufacturing Systems Corporation in 1994)
- Senior Executive Director Akira Saeki named president, President Tokuji Hayakawa named chairman
- Constructs Advanced Development and Planning Center
- Implements business group system
- Releases gallium arsenide double LED
- 1971
-
- Establishes Sharp Corporation of Australia Pty. Ltd. (SCA) as sales base in Australia
- Awarded the 1970 Okochi Memorial Production Prize for incorporating ELSIs in calculators
- 1972
-
- Releases company's first copier
- Launches new sales company system (regional sales companies consolidated into 16 companies by region)
- Launches S734 Project for developing COS calculators
- Adds Sharp Grand Award to annual employee commendation
- Opens Consumer Information Centers at nine service companies throughout Japan
- Establishes Sharp System Products Co., Ltd.
- Forms Sharp Employee Stockholder Association
- 1973
-
- Establishes Business Philosophy, Business Creed, and Basic Business Principles
- Sets up employee savings scheme
- Establishes Sharp Data Corporation (SDA) (name changed to Sharp Korea Corporation [SKC] in 1984) as manufacturing base in Korea
- Begins production of CMOS LSIs; releases pocket-sized COS calculator with LCD
- 1974
-
- Holds first company-wide QC circle convention
- Constructs former Sharp Tokyo Building (Sharp Tokyo Ichigaya Building)
- Establishes Sharp Electronics of Canada Ltd. (SECL) as sales base in Canada
- Establishes Sharp-Roxy Corporation (M) Sdn. Bhd. (SRC) as manufacturing base in Malaysia (name changed to S&O Electronics [Malaysia] Sdn. Bhd. [SOEM] in 2008)
- Launches ELM products
- Formulates company-wide quality standards (SS: Sharp Corporation Standards)
- 1975
-
- Begins mass production of color TVs at SCA in Australia
- 1976
-
- Launches New Life product strategy
- Sharp solar cells installed on Ume, Japan's first operational ionosphere-observing satellite
- 1977
-
- Establishes Sharp System Service
- Launches Special Project Team system
- Tokusen Metal Limited Partnership certified as special subsidiary of Sharp Corporation
- 1978
-
- Installs automated production line for the complete fabrication of calculators (awarded the Okochi Memorial Production Prize in 1981)
- 1979
-
- Establishes Sharp Electronics (Svenska) AB (SES) (name changed to Sharp Electronics [Nordic] AB [SEN] in 2000) as sales base in Sweden
- Sharp Manufacturing Company of America (SMCA) starts operations as production division of SEC
- Establishes SBC Software
1980–1989
- 1980
-
- Announces one-trillion yen initiative
- Forms Sharp Fellowship Society
- Launches New Business product strategy under a “new business style” concept
- Chairman Tokuji Hayakawa passes away
- Establishes Sharp Business Co., Ltd.
- Establishes Sharp-Roxy Electronics Corporation (M) Sdn. Bhd. (SREC) as manufacturing base in Malaysia (merged into SMM in 2009)
- 1981
-
- Establishes Sharp Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Constructs Shinjo Plant (now Katsuragi Plant) in Nara
- Constructs mass-production plant for EL displays (starts full-scale operations in 1983)
- Develops laser diode with VSIS architecture
- 1982
-
- Establishes Sharp (Phils.) Corporation (SPC) as manufacturing base in the Philippines
- Establishes Sharp Finance Corporation
- Establishes Sharp-ECD Solar Co., Ltd. as joint venture with Energy Conversion Devices Inc. of the US
- Sharp multinet system goes online
- Tokusen Metal Limited Partnership reorganized into Sharp Tokusen Industry Co.
- 1983
-
- Establishes Sharp Engineering Corporation
- EL displays installed on the Space Shuttle
- 1985
-
- Sharp Manufacturing Company of U.K. (SUKM) starts operations as production division of SUK
- Holds comprehensive technology exhibitions in Beijing and Shanghai
- Establishes Sharp-Roxy Appliances Corporation (M) Sdn. Bhd. (SRAC) as manufacturing base in Malaysia (ceases operations in 2002)
- Establishes Sharp-Roxy Sales & Service Company (M) Sdn. Bhd. (SRSSC) as sales base in Malaysia
- Establishes Creative Lifestyle Focus Center
- Constructs Fukuyama Plant
- Establishes Sharp Trading Corporation
- Builds prototype of 3-inch color LCD TV
- 1986
-
- Builds “futuristic electric house” on the grounds of Yao Plant
- Establishes Sharp Electronics (Schweiz) AG (SEZ) as sales base in Switzerland
- Establishes Sharp Electronics GmbH (SEA) as sales base in Austria (merges with SEEG in 2004 to become SEEG Austria Branch)
- Establishes Sharp-Roxy Sales (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (SRS) as sales base in Singapore
- Establishes Sharp Electrónica España S.A. (SEES) as manufacturing and sales base in Spain (ceases manufacturing in 2011)
- Senior Executive Director Haruo Tsuji named president, President Akira Saeki named chairman
- Establishes Sharp Electronics Taiwan Co., Ltd. (SET) as manufacturing base in Taiwan (liquidated in 2010)
- Launches Liquid Crystal Display Division
- 1987
-
- Establishes Sharp Electronics Sales Corporation
- Establishes Sharp Appliances (Thailand) Limited (SATL) as manufacturing base in Thailand
- Establishes Sharp Electronics (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (SESL) as kit export base in Singapore
- Chairman Akira Saeki appointed as corporate advisor
- Establishes Sharp-Roxy (Hong Kong) Ltd. (SRH) as sales base in Hong Kong
- 1988
-
- The Sharp Columbus, a promotional event boat, cruises the waters of Japan for 18 months
- Establishes Sharp Corporation of New Zealand Ltd. (SCNZ) as sales base in New Zealand
- Establishes Sharp Precision Manufacturing (U.K.) Ltd. (SPM) as manufacturing base in the UK (liquidated in 2010)
- Introduces in-house recruiting system
- Develops hologram laser unit jointly with Philips International B.V. of the Netherlands
- Proclaims goal of becoming comprehensive electronics manufacturer on the strength of its optoelectronics technologies
- Develops 14-inch color TFT LCD
- 1989
-
- Establishes Sharp Manufacturing France S.A. (SMF) as manufacturing base in France
- Establishes Sharp Thebnakorn Co., Ltd. (STCL) as sales base in Thailand (name changed to Sharp Thai Co., Ltd. [STCL] in 2007)
- Establishes Kalyani Sharp India Limited (KSIL) as manufacturing base in India (name changed to Sharp India Limited [SIL] in 2005)
- Establishes Sharp Manufacturing Corporation (M) Sdn. Bhd. (SMM) as manufacturing base in Malaysia
1990–1999
- 1990
-
- Establishes Sharp Corporation (Taiwan) (SCOT) as sales base in Taiwan
- Establishes Sharp Laboratories of Europe, Ltd. (SLE) as base to conduct basic research in the UK
- Launches Liquid Crystal Display Group
- SUKM receives the UK Queen's Award for Export and Technology
- Establishes Sharp International Finance (U.K.) Plc. (SIF) as financial subsidiary in the UK
- Establishes Sharp Burotype Machines S.A. (SBM) as sales base in France (name changed to Sharp Electronics France S.A. [SEF] in 1991)
- Establishes Sharp Electronics (Italia) S.p.A. (SEIS) as sales base in Italy
- Company-wide small-group activities renamed Sharp CATS (Creative Action Teams)
- Establishes childcare leave system
- Achieves non-consolidated net sales of 1 trillion yen (fiscal 1989)
- 1991
-
- Establishes Sharp Electronics Benelux B.V. as sales base in the Netherlands
- Begins production at color TFT LCD plant (NF-1 production line) at Advanced Development and Planning Center
- 1992
-
- Establishes Sharp Electronic Components (Taiwan) Corporation (SECT) as electronic components sales base, and Sharp Technology (Taiwan) Co., Ltd. (STT) as IC design and development base (STT liquidated in 2007)
- Ties up with Intel Corporation in flash memory business
- Establishes Sharp Live Electronics Sales Corporation
- Establishes Shanghai Sharp Air-Conditioning Systems Co., Ltd. (SSAC) as manufacturing base in China (name changed to Shanghai Sharp Electronics Co., Ltd. [SSEC] in 1994)
- Constructs Makuhari Building
- Establishes Sharp Thebnakorn Manufacturing (Thailand) (STTM) as production division of STCL
- 1993
-
- Begins production at Fukuyama Plant using 0.6 μm process design rules
- Establishes Sharp Office Equipments (Changshu) Co., Ltd. (SOCC) as manufacturing base in China
- 1994
-
- Develops industry's first reflective TFT LCD requiring no backlight
- Establishes Wuxi Sharp Electronic Components Co., Ltd. (WSEC) as manufacturing base in China
- Establishes P.T. Sharp Yasonta Indonesia (SYI) as manufacturing base, and P.T. Sharp Yasonta Antarnusa (SYA) as sales base in Indonesia (the two merged to form P.T. Sharp Electronics Indonesia [SEID] in 2005)
- 1995
-
- Establishes Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc. (SLA) as research base in the US
- Establishes P.T. Sharp Semiconductor Indonesia (SSI) as manufacturing base for semiconductors in Indonesia
- Begins operations at Mie Plant for mass production of LCDs
- Establishes Sharp Electronics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (SEM) as combined R&D base and parts supplier in Malaysia
- 1996
-
- Establishes Nanjing Sharp Electronics Co., Ltd. (NSEC) as manufacturing base in China
- Official Sharp Internet website opens
- 1997
-
- All Sharp production bases in Japan certified for ISO 14001
- Establishes Shanghai Sharp Mold and Manufacturing Systems Co., Ltd. (SSMC) as manufacturing base in China
- Establishes Sharp Electrónica Mexico S.A. de C.V. (SEMEX) as manufacturing base in Mexico
- Launches Environmental Protection Group and starts 3G-1R Strategy
- Introduces integrated distribution system in Japan
- 1998
-
- Establishes Sharp Middle East Free Zone Establishment (SMEF) as sales base in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Jointly develops world's first CG-Silicon (continuous grain silicon) technology with Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
- Develops and begins mass production of world’s first stacked CSP (chip size package)
- Establishes Sharp Document Systems Corporation and Sharp Amenity Systems Corporation
- Corporate Senior Executive Director Katsuhiko Machida named president, President Haruo Tsuji named corporate advisor
- Formulates Sharp Business Standards and Action Guidelines
- Establishes Sharp Electronics Marketing Corporation
- President Machida declares that by 2005 all TVs Sharp sells in Japan will be LCD TVs
- 1999
-
- Launches Sharp Space Town information service
- Develops 1-bit amplifier technology for reproducing ultra high-fidelity sound
- Establishes Sharp Electronics Inc. of Korea (SEI) as sales base in Korea
- Establishes Sharp Software Development India Pvt. Ltd. (SSDI) as software development company in India
- Publishes first Environmental Report
2000–2009
- 2000
-
- Launches advertising campaign for AQUOS, calling it a TV for the 21st century
- Establishes Sharp Microelectronics of China (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (SMC) as sales base in China (name changed to Sharp Electronics [Shanghai] Co., Ltd. [SES] in 2003)
- Establishes Sharp Business Systems (India) Limited (SBI) as sales base in India
- Becomes world's largest manufacturer of solar cells. Maintains this position for seven consecutive years, until 2006
- 2001
-
- Releases TVs with Advanced Super View LCD
- Establishes S.I. Solutions jointly with IBM Japan
- Kansai Recycling Systems Co., Ltd. starts operations (established in 1999)
- Establishes Sharp Telecommunications of Europe, Ltd. (STE) as mobile telecommunications development base in the UK
- Establishes usability labs
- Establishes Comprehensive Call Centers (Customer Assistance Centers) for handling customer inquiries
- Establishes BRM (business risk management) Committee
- 2002
-
- Ties up with El-Araby Group for air conditioning business in Egypt
- Operations begin at Mihara Plant
- Develops 3D LCD that can be switched between 2D and 3D formats
- 2003
-
- Revises Sharp Business Standards and Action Guidelines; enacts Sharp Charter of Corporate Behavior
- Launches Sharp Green Club (SGC)
- SEMEX in Mexico begins production of AQUOS LCD TVs
- Establishes consumer electronics R&D center in China
- Constructs Mie Plant No. 3 to manufacture System LCDs
- Changes name of small-group activities to R-CATS and starts unique activities
- Establishes CSR Promotion Division
- Develops reflective/transmissive Mobile Advanced Super View LCD
- 2004
-
- Starts eS-SEM strategic management system
- Operations begin at Kameyama Plant
- Establishes Sharp Technical Components (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. as manufacturing base in China
- Opens AQUOS Plaza sites in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka for the repair of large-screen AQUOS LCD TVs
- Announces environmental vision of becoming a zero global warming impact company by 2010 (achieved in 2008)
- 2005
-
- Takes part in Team Minus 6%, Cool Biz, and Warm Biz, three initiatives of Japan's Ministry of the Environment
- Establishes Sharp Electronics Sales (China) Co., Ltd. (SESC) as sales base in China
- Launches Sharp Yonago Corporation
- Establishes Sharp Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (SMTL) as manufacturing base in Thailand (reorganization of STTM)
- Establishes Sharp Group Charter of Corporate Behavior and Sharp Code of Conduct
- Electronic calculators recognized as IEEE Milestone
- 2006
-
- Establishes Sharp Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. (SMPL) as manufacturing base in Poland
- Kameyama Plant wins the Economy, Trade and Industry Minister’s Prize in the 8th Japan Water Award
- Teams up with NPO Weathercaster Network to begin eco-education in elementary schools in Japan
- 2007
-
- Corporate Senior Executive Director Mikio Katayama named president; President Katsuhiko Machida named chairman
- Establishes Sharp Electronics Russia LLC (SER) as sales base in Russia
- SEEG split into three separate entities for consumer electronics, information products, and solar power systems
- Establishes Toyama Plant to manufacture silicon for solar cells
- 2008
-
- Introduces executive officer system
- Establishes Health and Environment Systems Group
- Sharp Corporation attains Privacy Mark certification
- Announces goal of becoming a total solutions provider for solar power
- 2009
-
- Establishes Sharp Electronics (Vietnam) Company Limited (SVN) as sales base in Vietnam
- Announces new environmental vision of becoming an Eco-Positive Company
- Starts production of LCD panels at Green Front Sakai
2010–2019
- 2010
-
- Akira Saeki, corporate senior advisor and former president, passes away
- Develops high-conversion-efficiency solar cells
- Starts production of solar cells at Green Front Sakai
- Solar cell business recognized as IEEE Milestone
- Establishes Sharp Corporation Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (SCMEX) as sales base in Mexico
- Establishes Enel Green Power & Sharp Solar Energy S.r.l. (ESSE) as independent power producer in Italy
- Establishes 3 Sun S.r.l. as manufacturing base in Italy
- Establishes Sharp Electronics Research & Development (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. (SERD) as design and development base in China
- Acquires Recurrent Energy, LLC, a US developer of solar power plants
- 2011
-
- Establishes Sharp Laboratories of China Co., Ltd. (SLC) as R&D base in China
- Establishes Sharp Solar Maintenance Asia Co., Ltd. (SSMA) as maintenance company for solar power plants in Thailand
- Establishes Sharp Brasil Comércio e Distribuição de Artigos Eletrônicos Ltda. (SBCD) as sales base in Brazil
- Establishes Sharp (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (SCIC) as Chinese headquarters
- 2012
-
- Executive Managing Officer Takashi Okuda named president; President Mikio Katayama named chairman
- Announces strategic global partnership with Hon Hai Group of Taiwan, a major electronic manufacturing service company
- Starts mass production of LCD panels using IGZO (oxide semiconductor) technology
- Establishes Sharp Electronics (Europe) Limited (SEE) as European headquarters in the UK
- Moves Tokyo Branch (at the time) to Seavans South Building (Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
- Celebrates 100th anniversary of company founding
- 2013
-
- Reorganizes Japanese domestic sales companies: establishes Sharp Business Solutions Corporation (SBS) to handle B2B sales; changes name of solar energy-related sales company to Sharp Energy Solutions Corporation (SESJ)
- Strengthens alliance with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in LCD business and forms capital alliance with its Japanese subsidiary Samsung Electronics Japan Co., Ltd.
- Starts production of IGZO LCD panels for notebook PCs
- Construction completed on solar power plant in Thailand
- Executive Vice President Kozo Takashi named president; Takashi Okuda named chairman
- Starts operations of new home appliance plant in Karawang, Indonesia
- Enters into business and capital tie-ups with Denso Corporation, Makita Corporation, and Lixil Corporation and issues new shares through third-party allotment with the three companies
- Increases capital through public stock offering
- Cumulative sales of products with Sharp’s proprietary Plasmacluster air purification technology reach 50 million units worldwide
- 2014
-
- 50th anniversary since releasing the first calculator in Japan
- Develops Free-Form Display that enables the creation of new display designs to match a variety of applications
- 14-Inch TFT-LCD Recognized as IEEE Milestone
- 2015
-
- Representative Director and Executive Vice President Shigeaki Mizushima named chairman
- Issuance of Class Shares by third party allotment to Mizuho Bank Ltd., The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ. Ltd., and Japan Industrial Solutions
- New FFD (Free Form Display) technology developed allowing designers to integrate a display of virtually any shape into their products
- Releases 8K video monitor, world’s first product that conforms to the 8K standard image and supports HDR extended display at 8K resolution
- 2016
-
- Announces strategic alliance with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
- Releases RoBoHoN, world’s first mobile robotic phone capable of walking on two legs
- Reassignment to 2nd Section from 1st Section of Tokyo Stock Exchange
- Head office relocated from Osaka City (22-22, Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka City) to Sakai City (1 Takumi-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai City)
- Sharp's shares of 388.8 billion yen in total subscribed to Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. and 3 others
- J.W. Tai (Executive V.P. of Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.) named president
- Plasmacluster technology proven for the first time ever to reduce the risk of tuberculosis infection in tuberculosis hospitals
- Establishes Sharp Jusda Logistics Corporation (SJL) and consolidates logistics-related businesses
- Establishes ScienBiziP Japan Co., Ltd. (SBPJ) for handling intellectual property affairs
- Announces new corporate motto “Be Original.”
- 2017
-
- Merges with Sharp Manufacturing Systems Corporation (SMS), which handles production equipment, control devices, and medical-related equipment
- Establishes Sharp Universal Technology (SZ) Co., Ltd. (SUT) for overseeing Sharp’s Chinese business; also establishes consumer electronics R&D center at SUT
- Acquires shares of Skytec UMC Ltd. to relaunch LCD TV business in Europe
- Plasmacluster recognized by the Guinness World Records® as the best-selling air purifier brand of 2015
- Releases cooler bags and other products that make use of cold-storage material created at Tekion Lab, Sharp’s first in-house startup
- Introduces stock option system
- Transitions from a company with an audit and supervisory board to a company with an audit and supervisory committee
- Changes unit of shares (trading unit) of common shares from 1,000 to 100 shares (consolidates shares 10-to-1)
- Reorganizes Japanese domestic sales and service companies and merges them into Sharp Business Solutions Corporation (SBS); changes name to Sharp Marketing Japan Corporation (SMJ)
- Releases world’s first 8K-compatible LCD TV in China in October and in Japan in December
- Sharp Corporation’s common shares relisted on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange
- 2018
-
- Signs sponsorship agreement with professional soccer team Cerezo Osaka
- Acquires Kantatsu Co., Ltd., a company that has its strengths in micro-lens units for smartphone cameras
- Sharp Energy Solutions Corporation (SESJ) takes over a portion of Sharp Corporation’s energy solutions business
- For the first time in a decade, Sharp records profits for all four quarters in fiscal 2017; business recovery allows Sharp to pay dividends for the first time in six years
- Sharp Energy Solutions (SESJ) receives orders for and constructs mega solar power plants in Vietnam, Mongolia, and Indonesia
- Acquires Toshiba Client Solutions Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation that handles Dynabook brand PCs
- Starts mass production of OLED displays at the Sakai Plant and Mie (Taki) Plant
- Releases string of 8K products, including the world’s first 8K tuner capable of receiving new 4K8K satellite broadcasts, an AQUOS 8K LCD TV with built-in 8K tuner, and an 8K-compatible USB hard drive
- Releases AQUOS zero, equipped with Sharp’s OLED display and weighing 146 grams, the world’s lightest smartphone
- 2019
-
- Reorganizes business organization into the three business groups of Smart Life, 8K Ecosystem, and ICT
- Spins off the electronic device business to establish Sharp Fukuyama Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (SFS) and Sharp Fukuyama Laser Co., Ltd. (SFL)
- Develops 5th-generation IGZO, an evolution of Sharp’s display core technology
- Begins providing COCORO Home, a new smart home service combining appliances and services of Sharp and other companies
- Full-scale launch of the TEKION LAB business under the Sharp brand, with the release of the TEKION COOLER bag
- Takes part in the Life Up Promotion project of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
- Establishes Sharp Cocoro Life Inc. to provide COCORO services and AIoT Cloud Inc. to provide AIoT platforms
- Develops a 120-inch class 8K LCD monitor, the world’s largest
- Co-develops with Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) a rollable 30-inch 4K flexible organic OLED display
- AIoT Cloud Inc. starts providing a business communication service called LINC Biz, offering chat and teleconferencing/videoconferencing functions
2020–
- 2020
-
- Establishes Sharp Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd. (SMV) for the design and manufacture of electronic devices in Vietnam
- Establishes Yantai Xiazhi Precision Electronics Co., Ltd. (XZ) in China for the development, manufacture, and sales of production equipment and electronic components
- Launches production of nonwoven face masks at the Mie Plant; starts sales to general consumers
- Chairman and President Jeng-Wu Tai named Chairman and CEO; Executive Vice President Katsuaki Nomura named President and COO
- AIoT Cloud Inc. launches collaboration in gas equipment with Osaka Gas Co., Ltd and other companies; also starts providing consumer electronics data to Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc
- Starts providing COCORO OFFICE, a smart office service to support telework and operational efficiency
- Establishes XiaYan Technology(ShanDong) Co.,Ltd. (XT) in China as an R&D base for 8K technology and a provider of 8K solutions
- Verifies for the first time in the world the effectiveness of Plasmacluster technology in reducing airborne novel coronavirus
- Announces a company-wide policy of strengthening business in health, medicine, and nursing
- Spins off the display device business to establish Sharp Display Technology Corporation (SDTC)
- Acquires the Hakusan Plant from Japan Display Inc.
- Acquires NEC Display Solutions, a subsidiary of NEC Corporation; name changed to Sharp NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (SNDS)
- 2021
-
- Enters field of constant-temperature transport of pharmaceuticals such as vaccines through collaboration with Sugiyama-Gen Co., Ltd. to develop products including constant-temperature transport container sets using Sharp’s 3°C Tekion cold-retention material
- Spins off camera module business to establish Sharp Sensing Technology Corporation (SSTC)
- Completes cancellation of all classes of shares
- AQUOS TV marks 20th anniversary (reaches cumulative sales of 50 million)
- Releases the AQUOS R6 smartphone, with 1-inch camera sensor, among world’s largest for smartphones, and Pro IGZO OLED display, the first with a variable refresh rate of 1 Hz to 240 Hz, through a technology tie-up with Leica Camera AG
- Signs joint development agreement with Nikon Corporation on the implementation of biomimetics technology (nature technology)
- Enters hearing aid market with release of Medical Listening Plug, an in-the-ear hearing aid
- Sharp’s proprietary moth eye technology, Plasmacluster technology, and visible light-responsive photocatalyst material demonstrated to inactivate and reduce novel virus
- Releases AQUOS XLED, a new TV brand with mini LED backlight
- Worldwide shipments of Plasmacluster products reach cumulative total of 100 million units
- 2022
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- Develops TEKIjuN, the world’s first solid humidity-control agent, which adjusts and maintains target humidity in airtight spaces
- Philips Hue smart lights by Signify Japan become the first non-Sharp IoT appliances to work with the COCORO HOME smart life app.
- Document solutions business marks 50th anniversary
- Enters skincare market by releasing Medicated Crystaliq skincare items
- With restructuring of the Tokyo Stock Exchange into three market segments, Sharp shares are listed on the Prime Market
- Chairman Jeng-Wu Tai and President Katsuaki Nomura step down, Executive Managing Officer Po-Hsuan Wu named president and CEO; new management structure launched
- Announces policy to execute management emphasizing ESG
- Acquires Sakai Display Products Corporation (SDP)
- Achieves a conversion efficiency of 32.65%, the world’s highest, in a lightweight, flexible, practically sized solar module
- Develops LC-LH, an indoor photovoltaic device that can efficiently generate electricity from weak indoor light. The device can be mass-produced at significantly low cost and high quality using LCD production facilities.
- Verifies the effectiveness of Plasmacluster technology in a series of tests, such as its potential to alleviate asthma symptoms in a test using human airway epithelial cells created from stem cell culture
- 2023
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- Signs an agreement with the city of Yao, Osaka Prefecture to collaborate in citizens’ health promotion
- Establishes NTT Qonoq Devices, Inc., a joint venture with NTT Qonoq, Inc., to develop and spread the use of XR (VR, AR, etc.) devices
- Sharp’s unique hole-less tub washing machine marks 30th anniversary
- Builds new air conditioner plant at P.T. Sharp Electronics Indonesia (SEID) in Karawang Regency, Indonesia; starts production and shipping
- Verifies for the first time in the world the potential for Plasmacluster technology to induce brain activation
- Joins the GX League, organized by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which aims to transform Japan’s overall economic and social system