Foundation: 1912
Headquarters: Sakai city, Osaka
President: Wu Po-Hsuan
Executive Summary: Sharp Corporation is a Japanese multinational electronics company majority owned by Taiwan-based Foxconn Group. Its primary business activities include the manufacturing and sales of telecommunications equipment, electric and electronic application equipment, and electronic components. Sharp was founded by Tokuji Hayakawa, who established a metalworking shop in Tokyo in 1912. The company’s international expansion began just three years later when it invented the Hayakawa Mechanical Pencil and exported it to both the United States and Europe. In 1949, Sharp was listed on the Osaka Securities Exchange. Two years later, the firm successfully developed a prototype television set. By 1953, Sharp entered into an agreement with US company RCA for television technology and began mass production of the first Japan-made television sets. In 1963, Sharp expanded into the United States. Since its inception, Sharp has been credited with developing a number of new technologies, mainly related to consumer electronics. From 2000-2006, Sharp held the title as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar cells. Sharp was an early mover in reducing its carbon emissions. From around 2012, the company struggled financially, and in 2016 it came under the control of Foxconn. Currently, Sharp has over 17,000 employees in Japan and over 30,000 overseas. Its annual income is in the range of US$20 billion.
