Recently, enterprises from mainland China such as BOE Technology Group and San’an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. have privately inquired about corporate details of two Taiwanese LED chip makers, namely Formosa Epitaxy Incorporation (FOREPI) and Lextar, indicating an interest to invest in Taiwan’s LED industry after the lifting of maximum investment by Chinese investors.

Chinese operators are interested in Taiwan’s LED epitaxy plants for their advanced technologies, according to institutional investors.

Insiders say that the parent company AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) owns 50% of shares, making difficult Chinese investors to acquire a majority stake; while San’an and other larger Chinese LED lighting companies still prefer to invest in Lextar for its integrated production, from LED epitaxies and chips to packaging and smart-lighting product design.

X. C. Lin, president of San’an, says Chinese investors are interested in Taiwan’s upstream plant for epitaxy making, downstream plant for packaging, and even the LED lighting design industry, believing that once cross-strait LED industries cooperate to achieve synergy, new world-class LED plants will be set up to generate profits.

Chinese investors eye FOREPI likely for its relatively smaller capital outlay relative to Lextar’s.