Samsung Display Co. said Sunday it has started building its new 8.6-generation IT organic light-emitting diode (OLED) production line, signaling a strategic move to solidify its leadership position in the global flat screen market, Azernews reports, citing Yonhap.

The company will transform its existing L8 line into the new A6 line for the 8.6-generation OLED panels aimed at IT devices besides smartphones in its facilities in the central region of Asan.

It will be Samsung Display's sixth OLED line and, upon completion, will become the highest-generation OLED line in the world.

The company plans to install major equipment this year and start full-scale mass production in 2026.

The move follows the announcement in April last year that Samsung Display will invest 4.1 trillion won (US$3.1 billion) in the IT OLED field by 2026 to build a line capable of producing 10 million laptop panels per year.

According to market research firm Omnia, the global IT OLED market is expected to grow from $2.5 billion in revenue in 2024 to $8.9 billion in 2029 at an annual growth rate of 28.6 percent.