To develop a thin-film solar cell Kodak to find a difficult transition

After just filed for bankruptcy protection, "film giant" Kodak has been carrying out business restructuring and forced to "re-transform", but the success of the transformation is still unknown, Kodak's future is still confusing.

Recently, it is reported that Kodak is currently working with Natcol Corporation of the United States to develop flexible thin-film solar cells based on carbon nanotubes. The cost of producing such solar cells is only about 50% of that of conventional solar cells.

Although Kodak currently does not formally respond to the development of the thin-film solar cell business, it has been questioned by many industry sources. The biggest reason is still "too late."

Industry insiders pointed out that Kodak is not the first film production company to enter the industry and has no prior advantages. Once it is really entered, the construction of the production line in the early stage of the transformation and the positioning of the products are extremely time consuming and costly. Moreover, compared to existing businesses in this industry, Kodak is not very competitive.

While seeking transformation, Kodak is still not satisfied with the film business. The company said that its film department will continue to be retained as long as it continues to make profits.

“Film (photography and film) is Kodak's still profitable business. We have the widest and most respected film products in photography and film.” Audrey Jonckheer, Director of Global Marketing and Public Relations at Kodak, said, “We have taken some measures. Supporting the declining film business, we know that there are still a large number of fans who respect film because of their artistry and high quality."

It is reported that in the past three years, Kodak has improved its professional film product line and continued to launch products including Ektar 100, Portra 160 and Portra 400. However, whether these can reach Kodak's expectations are unknown.

In addition to being unrelenting to the film business, Kodak’s once-famous reputation in the entertainment industry will also be a thing of the past. Recently, Kodak, which has filed for bankruptcy protection, filed an application with the court in order to suspend its naming rights contract with the Kodak Theatre developer.

It is reported that the Kodak Theatre was built by the American real estate company CIM Group and was designed specifically for the Oscars. In 2000, Kodak received 20 years of naming rights for theaters. It paid $74 million for this purpose and paid $4 million of “rent” to CIM each year.

This generous generous sponsorship is also one of the most famous corporate commercial sponsorships in history. At the same time, this cooperation is also seen as a natural match, because each film that won the best film award was shot on film. Now that the film age has gradually departed, digital projection has become the most common way of screening Hollywood films.

Now, in the context of trying to retain funds and reorganizing its business, Kodak requested that its name be withdrawn from the Kodak Theatre in order to lift its $75 million 20-year title agreement with theatre developers in 2000, avoiding approximately 4 million annually. US dollar sponsorship contract expenses. A Kodak spokesperson stated that "the reason why such actions are taken is to ensure that our entertainment industry's customers, creditors and shareholders' rights are maximized."