Sharp Corp. is selling part of its Sakai plant assets in Japan to Sekisui Chemical Co. for 25 billion yen ($169 million), continuing its asset-light transformation strategy. The deal, announced on December 26, follows Sharp’s earlier 100 billion yen ($676 million) asset sale to SoftBank Group Corp.
The Foxconn Technology Group subsidiary expects to book a special gain of 10.7 billion yen ($72 million) from the Sekisui transaction in fiscal 2025. The deal is set to close in October 2025 after a formal agreement is signed in January.
Sekisui Chemical plans to partner with Development Bank of Japan to establish Sekisui Solar Film, which will manufacture perovskite solar cells at the site. These next-generation cells are lightweight, thin and flexible, making them suitable for building facades and curved surfaces where traditional panels can’t be installed. The company aims to begin commercial production in 2025.
The Sakai facility, which ceased LCD panel production in August 2023, has attracted multiple buyers due to its extensive infrastructure and large land area. Earlier, Sharp agreed to let KDDI Corp. convert part of the site into an AI data center, scheduled to begin operations in fiscal 2025.
