Under the background of information technology reform, the automobile industry has ushered in an intelligent outlet. With the development and application of information technology, automobiles have gradually changed from mechanized transportation tools to intelligent "third space" with people as the core. Under the wave of intelligent driving, automotive optical businesses such as on-board cameras, lidar, and millimeter wave radar are booming, and OFILM, which has a forward-looking layout, will fully benefit from the development dividend of the industry.
Forward-looking layout benefits from the wave of intelligence
According to the data, as early as 2015, OFILM carried out advance card slots in the field of smart cars. Relying on the technical advantages in the field of optical optoelectronics, the company has completed the layout of three branches of intelligent central control, ADAS and body electronics, and the products are based on optical lenses and cameras, extending to millimeter-wave radar, lidar, head-up display (HUD) and so on. In 2018, the company acquired Fuji Tianjin Lens Factory and obtained 1,040 patents related to mobile phone lenses and car lenses, further strengthening its layout in car lenses. It is worth noting that OFILM has obtained the first-class supplier qualification of more than 20 domestic and foreign car companies, and has carried out extensive cooperation with a number of domestic independent brand customers in the field of intelligent car business, and the company is also actively carrying out supplier qualification certification for foreign auto manufacturers.
Industry insiders pointed out that compared with the product introduction cycle that only takes half a year in the mobile phone industry, the product import cycle of the automobile is generally 2-3 years, and the middle involves the need to pass the car regulation certification and other links, and the investment in the automobile industry often takes longer than the mobile phone to wait for the fruit. However, after the supplier enters the supply system, its shipment volume is also relatively more stable. OFILM has Tier1 supply qualifications, which can directly provide a complete set of products and solutions for car companies, and has the advantage of being a first mover, laying a solid foundation for the company to develop customers.
In fact, benefiting from the solid foundation of product technology in hardware and software, the precipitation of OFILM's intelligent automobile business has begun to show results, and the operating performance has been gradually released. According to the semi-annual report of fiscal 2021, OFILM's intelligent vehicle business achieved a rapid growth rate of 78.22%, with a comprehensive gross profit margin of 14.83%, an increase of 0.28 percentage points year-on-year. Among them, ADAS achieved revenue of 120 million yuan, an increase of 777.68% year-on-year. With the company's continuous development of the intelligent car business, the overall gross profit margin of the company's intelligent car business is expected to further increase.
Continuous R&D and innovation to consolidate competitive advantage
Innovation is not only the lifeblood of enterprise survival, but also a strong driving force for the long-term development of enterprises. In the 2021 performance forecast, OFILM pointed out that the company actively expands new businesses while developing its core business, and lays out optical optoelectronic businesses such as smart cars, VR/AR, industrial, medical, and action cameras, and invests a lot in new business research and development.
According to OFILM's 2021 semi-annual report, in the first half of last year, the company's R&D investment has reached 946 million yuan, accounting for 8.06% of operating income. As of June 30, 2021, the company has applied for 5,193 patents worldwide and obtained 2,449 granted patents.
OFILM's continuous R&D innovation has achieved fruitful results. After years of technical research, the company team has broken through the technical barriers of high-end lenses, 100 million pixel 7P optical lenses have been mass-produced, and the 8P lens project has also been successfully developed.
Last year, O-film also said in response to investor questions that the company's R & D team independently developed, designed and produced the industry's first ultra-thin periscope continuous zoom module to complete the first Demo demo and officially launched. The self-developed high-pixel super resolution algorithm has been recognized by customers and application development, the super EIS stabilization algorithm has reached the top level in the industry, the MGL high-quality module, the CMP/GMP miniaturization module are mass-produced, and the periscope 5x zoom and 10x continuous zoom technology has completed the technology development.
At the same time, in terms of 3D Sensing, the company continues to develop and upgrade 3D Sensing modules, and broadens the application field of 3D Sensing to smart homes, AI robots and other fields. The company has joined hands with PMD & IFX to successfully apply the 3D ToF solution developed in the field of sweeping and dragging, realizing the integration of the front-mounted ToF camera and high-precision sensor, which can quickly realize the ranging and avoidance of obstacles through accurate calculation and intelligent perception, and avoid stuck traps. This is also the first large-scale mass production of 3D ToF technology in the sweeper industry, and the company has reached cooperation with many domestic smart home customers and continues to expand new customers.
OFILM has repeatedly said that in the future, it will increase R&D and innovation, give play to the ability of industrial chain integration, and unswervingly extend to the upstream of the industrial chain. On the basis of stabilizing the smart phone business, we actively develop innovative businesses such as smart cars and new fields, and strive to build a business architecture system for the three major sectors of smart phones, smart cars and new fields, so as to provide customers with one-stop optical services. Nowadays, smart phones have entered the stock market, smart cars are in the ascendant, and OFILM, which has been deeply engaged in optics for many years, is expected to create new brilliance in the field of smart cars under the blessing of R & D and innovation advantages.