Despite the canceled deal with investor Orix, Panasonic is moving forward with its plans to spin off its ProAV division into a separate company. invidis spoke with Hartmut Kulessa from Panasonic Connect about the next steps.
Panasonic’s ProAV Future: “We Will Continue as Planned”
Panasonic made headlines when a nearly completed takeover suddenly fell through. The Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei reported that the financial investor Orix would no longer acquire a stake in Panasonic’s ProAV unit. invidis also covered the story.
In an interview with Invidis, Hartmut Kulessa, Head of Marketing for the Visual Systems Division at Panasonic Connect, shared how the ProAV division will move forward. His response: “We will continue as planned.”
ProAV to Operate More Independently
Panasonic still plans to spin off its ProAV business into a separate company, aiming to give it greater independence from the larger Japanese conglomerate.
Large projectors will remain a core part of Panasonic’s product lineup, alongside new all-in-one LED displays and LCD screens. The company will offer a wide portfolio of LED, LCD, and projector products, supported by new software solutions.
To highlight this new independence, Panasonic will introduce Mevix – a new sub-brand under Panasonic Connect. Although the deal with Orix to acquire an 80% stake has collapsed, the group of shareholders will remain unchanged for now. Panasonic Mevix will operate as a subsidiary of Panasonic.
