Chronology

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