The purchase agreement for the acquisition of 100 percent of the shares in Kimsoptec Co., Ltd. (Kimsoptec) was signed on July 26, 2022. The closing of the acquisition is expected for the end of August this year.

The Korean company has been the exclusive distributor of the Instrument Systems product portfolio in Korea since 2005 and also produces display measuring instruments itself.

Instrument Systems, a subsidiary of Konica Minolta, produces spectroradiometers, cameras and display and light measurement systems. It is now planning to expand its business with measurement solutions in the areas of display, IR radiation sources and AR/VR measurement solutions for the Asian ICT and automotive markets. The company aims to expand these markets by developing more sales channels to existing key accounts and to system integrators in Korea.
About Kimsoptec

Kimsoptec was founded in 2005 and produces display measurement technology. The company also exclusively sells the complete Instrument Systems portfolio in Korea, including technical consulting and customer service. It employs 43 people. The company focuses on system integrators and manufacturers within the supply chains of the world's largest suppliers in the ICT market as well as important Instrument Systems customers.

Instrument Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta since 2012, was founded in Munich in 1986. The company employs 280 people (as of June 2022) and has production sites in Munich and Berlin as well as a global sales and service network.

Growth expected in measurement solutions for AR/VR displays

Instrument Systems has long been working successfully to expand its business areas to include new applications in light and display measurement technology. The focus is on fast and accurate inspection of displays in production lines and in research and development. Meanwhile, the company is also active in the market for optical inspection of sensors for identity authentication. This will continue to grow strongly in the future for smartphone and tablet end devices, as well as in other areas such as automotive.

As a second business segment, Instrument Systems aims to expand its market segment of inspection of AR-VR displays. AR-VR applications are expected to grow in importance in the Korean market due to the upcoming activities of all major ICT companies. This will result in an increasing demand for measurement solutions coming from Asian manufacturers within their respective supply chains.

The acquisition of Kimsoptec will significantly strengthen the role of Instrument Systems within Konica Minolta's global network. It will help to further expand the Konica Minolta Group's successful Sensing business and address new challenges in sensor and display metrology worldwide.