The Wall: Samsung Shuts Down European Plant

It was long held up as the flagship of Samsung’s European display manufacturing: the production facility for MicroLED The Wall in Galanta, Slovakia. Now, however, the site – primarily dedicated to TV manufacturing – is set to close.

In an official statement, the company said: “Samsung Electronics has made the difficult decision to shut down its visual display production facility in Slovakia following a review of its global TV manufacturing network. For nearly 24 years, the plant has supported our growth in Europe.”

The wording of the announcement suggests that TV production played the central role in the decision. The global TV market is currently undergoing significant upheaval, with Chinese brands such as TCL and Hisense steadily capturing market share from long-established Korean and Japanese manufacturers.

One of Three Global Sites

Since 2022, Galanta has also been home to the production of The Wall, with the facility specializing in the IWA and IAB series and primarily serving the European market. It was one of just three The Wall production sites worldwide, alongside Ho Chi Minh City and Mexico.

How production will now be redistributed – or whether the line will be relocated to a new site – remains unclear. invidis has reached out to Samsung, awaiting further comment.

“Made in Europe” in Question

Until now, Samsung has actively marketed The Wall units from Galanta under a “Made in Europe” label. In recent years, geopolitical instability has prompted many manufacturers to bring production closer to their core markets. Should Samsung decide against re-establishing the line within Europe, it would mark a departure from this broader industry trend.

Samsung emphasized that the decision affects only the production facility. The company will continue its commercial operations in Slovakia.

The closure was first reported by AV Magazine.