Chinese LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel maker BOE Technology Group began construction of a Gen 8.5 line in Chongquing, China, with a total investment of US$32.8 billion RMB (US$5.34 billion; US$1=6.1435 RMB), according to the company's press release on July 17. The fab, which is slated for mass production in mid-2015, will adopt core technologies such as Oxide TFT (Thin-Film Transistor) and ADSDS (Advanced Super Dimension Switch) to produce touch panels, LCD TV sets, and display modules for notebook PC, tablet, and high-end display.

In related news, BOE's Gen 5.5 AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) line in Inner Mongolia and Gen 8.5 line in Anhui will begin operation in the fourth quarter of 2013, pushing up BOE's total capacity to the fifth in the world, as reported by China's Guangzhou Daily on July 18.