Chimei Innolux (CMI) has decided to invest NT$3.85 billion (US$125.76 million) to set up a touch panel production plant at the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) due to fast expanding touch panel applications, while projected capacitive touch panels became the segment mainstream.

Due to support from Foxconn Electronics, who currently is in the supply chain of Apple, CMI is actively expanding its touch panel business. In addition to converting its current TFT-LCD panel production lines for touch panel production, the company is also actively building a new plant for touch panels.

In fact, large-size panel makers have advantages in touch panel production as large-size panel makers have ample production capacity and only need to allot a small part of their capacity for touch sensor and touch module production to put pressure on smaller-scale touch panel makers.