The successful Korean ultra-precision materials supplier is strengthening its position in the smartphone and display sectors while expanding into the hydrogen industry.
In recent years, due to an increasingly saturated and competitive domestic market, it has become crucial for Korean SMEs to diversify their opportunities and adopt a global mindset to sustain growth. For many exporters, now appears to be an ideal time for Korean companies to capitalize on global supply chain realignments and onshoring strategies, bolstered by governmental initiatives. Do you agree with this sentiment? What are the challenges and opportunities for Korean suppliers within global supply chains?
I completely agree that now is a crucial time for Korean SMEs to expand globally. The market in Korea has become highly saturated and competitive, so companies like ours need to look beyond domestic borders to sustain growth. Global supply chain realignments and onshoring strategies are creating new opportunities, and it’s important for Korean suppliers to position themselves as valuable partners in these shifting dynamics.
For us, growth has always been about adapting and localizing overseas technology. Years ago, Japan dominated the global market, but Korea was able to build its own industries by integrating and refining those technologies. Now, we are competing not only with Japan, the U.S., and Germany but also with China, which has a strong advantage in mass production. Korea’s strength lies in specialization, high-quality manufacturing, and skilled expertise, which is why companies like Shinsung C&T focus on continuously developing advanced technologies to maintain a competitive edge.
This is a perfect time for us to spread our wings—to transition from a caterpillar to a butterfly. But with any expansion, there are challenges. One of the biggest has been automating the production of ultra-precision films, which require extremely tight specifications. To overcome this, we’ve had to focus heavily on R&D, upgrading features, and integrating both traditional and new technologies.
At the end of the day, the key to success in global supply chains is agility—being able to adapt, innovate, and deliver high-quality solutions at the right time. That’s what we’re focusing on at Shinsung C&T, and we believe that by leveraging our strengths, we can continue to grow and compete on the global stage.
What kind of strength do you provide to your customers for them to select you as key supplier?
Our relationship with our main customer has been built over many years of trust, collaboration, and strategic growth. When we established Shinsung C&T in 1995, we knew that in order to succeed, we had to align ourselves with key industry leaders, and our customers provided that opportunity. Their rapid growth also created opportunities for us to expand alongside them, which is why we’ve become one of their key suppliers today.
Our journey with our main customer officially began in 2005 when we became their partner in the mobile phone sector. That same year, we opened our first factory in Gumi, Korea to support their production. As our customers continued to expand, we followed, ensuring that we could provide stable and efficient supply chain support. In 2006, we expanded into Tianjin, China, where we established an LED factory to ensure a continuous and reliable supply of key components. By 2007, we had further strengthened our footprint with a factory in Shenzhen, China, and in 2010, we set up operations in Vietnam to align with our customer’s growing presence there.
As the display industry evolved, we recognized the need to be even closer to our customer’s operations. In 2014, we opened our second factory dedicated to our customers, reinforcing our commitment to their supply chain. And in 2018, we expanded into India, further cementing our role as a global supplier.
This strategy—locating our production sites near our clients—has been critical to our success. It has allowed us to increase efficiency, reduce logistics costs, and provide rapid response times. This level of agility and reliability is one of the key reasons why our customers continue to select us as a preferred supplier.
For example, when our competitors provide samples to our customers, it typically takes three to seven days. We can deliver much faster—even in a day, giving our customer a crucial competitive advantage in their product development process.
Now, with global supply chains undergoing realignment, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, companies are looking for more stable and strategic partnerships. This shift presents new opportunities, and we are already working on establishing a manufacturing hub in the U.S., Vietnam, and India to further enhance our competitiveness and support our customer’s global operations.
At the end of the day, our strength lies in our long-term commitment, adaptability, and ability to deliver high-quality solutions with speed and precision. That’s what makes us a trusted partner for our main customer and why we continue to grow together.
How do you see the opportunities evolving for your company?
We see opportunities evolving in several key areas, and while the market is always changing, we’ve positioned ourselves to adapt and grow alongside those shifts. Historically, we had two factories in China, but in 2014, we withdrew from the Shenzhen facility as part of our long-term restructuring plan. Our focus shifted to Vietnam and India, especially as the smartphone industry experienced a boom in Vietnam. Looking back, this move proved to be a positive step for us as it allowed us to remain competitive and aligned with market demand.
Global Network Map
In Korea, we are currently conducting extensive R&D to further integrate supply chain management solutions into our operations. R&D is vital for us to stay ahead, especially in sectors where technological advancements and rapid delivery matter most. Our long-term objective is clear—we want to expand globally and deepen our partnerships with key clients around the world.
Of course, there are barriers to entry in any market, but what sets us apart is our high product quality and our ability to respond quickly to client needs. That said, we know that to overcome these barriers, we need to continuously improve internally and innovate.
One of the biggest opportunities we see comes from the trend toward larger displays. The bigger the display, the bigger the order size tends to be, and as clients request larger screens, they also expect improved features. Our expertise in large-screen ultra-precision technologies gives us a strong advantage. Historically, we focused on producing smaller 6-inch mobile phone displays, but now we are expanding to larger sizes, such as 14, 15, and 16-inch displays for PCs and other devices.
Of course, this shift hasn’t been without challenges. Larger displays are more difficult to manufacture because they tend to have higher defect rates. The issue largely comes down to precision measurement errors, so we are currently investing in developing ultra-precision technology to improve production accuracy and reduce these errors.
Overall, our growth strategy is driven by innovation, adaptability, and global collaboration. By investing in R&D and strengthening our partnerships, we are confident that we can continue to seize new opportunities and expand our presence in key industries around the world.
In display industry, Korean are focusing on the premium, while chinese are taking over the small and medium type. While similar fashion in the smartphone industry. How do you see the industries evolving?
The display industry has undergone significant transformations over the past two decades, and I have personally been involved in this field for more than 20 years. We’ve witnessed the evolution from CRT monitors to LCD, then to active matrix displays, and now to OLED and beyond. Consumer preferences have always driven innovation in display technology, and today, the focus is on delivering a more natural and immersive viewing experience.
Korean manufacturers have taken the lead in developing premium displays, while Chinese companies have dominated the small and medium-sized display market through cost-efficient mass production. The market has now reached a mature stage, making differentiation through technology, quality, and innovation more critical than ever.
One of the key development directions in display technology is enhancing response time to create smoother, more fluid visuals, as well as improving color accuracy and brightness to make displays look as natural as possible. The demand for displays that replicate real-world visuals is shaping the future of the industry.
LCD technology, despite its long-standing presence, has its limitations—particularly the issue of afterimage retention. This is why OLED has emerged as the dominant technology, and we now see the next evolution pushing towards VR-ready displays. The trend is shifting towards immersive experiences, making VR displays a key focus for future development.
Another significant change is the resurgence of larger displays. As smartphones evolve, their screens are growing larger—almost approaching the size of PC displays. This shift is one of the primary drivers behind the rise of foldable phone technology, which allows manufacturers to offer large-screen experiences while maintaining portability.
At the same time, the industry is preparing for the next wave of technological advancements. With the display market reaching saturation, we believe the next steps in development will be in Micro OLED and Nano OLED technologies. These will bring even greater precision, efficiency, and realism to displays, with continuous advancements in materials and manufacturing techniques aimed at achieving the most natural, life-like visual experiences.
One of the biggest challenges with large displays is managing heat dissipation. As screen sizes increase, the issue of thermal management becomes even more critical. At Shinsung C&T, we have developed an anti-heat solution to address this issue, ensuring that high-performance displays can maintain efficiency without overheating.
Where do you see your future growth coming from?
We continue to have high expectations for the foldable phone and display markets, which remain core areas for our business. As the demand for larger, more advanced screens grows, we believe our expertise in ultra-precision display technologies will drive further growth.
What do you expect the readers to take away from this interview?
What I hope readers take away from this interview is a deeper understanding of Shinsung C&T and the people behind it. We’re not just a company—we’re a team of innovators, always looking ahead, always adapting, and always striving to deliver the best solutions for our partners and the industry. Our journey is one of continuous evolution, and we’re excited for what the future holds.
For more information visit: http://www.shinsungcnt.com/
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