Sharp Laboratories of America Promotes Van Oosterhout to President and CEO; Lab Marks Milestones in R&D, Contributions to Sharp Corporation's Electronics Leadership.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

OSAKA, Japan & CAMAS, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2003

Sharp Corporation, Osaka Japan, and Sharp Laboratories of America, Camas, Wash., announced today that Jack Van Oosterhout has been promoted to the position of president and chief executive officer. Prior to his promotion, Van Oosterhout served as vice president of the digital imaging systems department at Sharp Labs.

The appointment of Van Oosterhout marks a milestone in the lab's eight-year history, as the lab aims to broaden its mission beyond its original mandate to develop technologies that improve Sharp Corporation's products available in the United States. Van Oosterhout will lead the lab in pursuit of new opportunities to adapt Sharp's products to the U.S. market, and to identify new product categories where Sharp Corporation can succeed long-term. He assumes the responsibilities of Sharp Labs' CEO, Jon Clemens, Ph.D., who is retiring after his successful tenure at Sharp Labs that included building the lab from its founding. Clemens will remain a consultant with the organization, and also will pursue new opportunities for Sharp Corporation to license intellectual property to third parties in the U.S.

"I am pleased to have the opportunity to promote a highly-qualified executive of Sharp Labs to the chief executive position," said Clemens. "Jack's familiarity with the unique culture and business practices at Sharp Labs will allow him to continue the valuable contributions of Sharp Laboratories to Sharp's business groups. His energy will also stimulate the lab's ability to pursue new categories of R&D for Sharp Corporation."

As one of the original members of Sharp Labs, Van Oosterhout was responsible for founding the digital imaging systems department, whose applied research has made significant contributions to Sharp Corporation. Under his leadership, the department developed personal document management software, called SharpDesk, peer to peer network scanning, and other product differentiators that built Sharp Corporation's standing as one of the top four worldwide manufacturers of multi-purpose document imaging systems. To support his department's research and development initiatives, Van Oosterhout also founded Sharp Labs' software development subsidiary in India to increase development capacity and reduce cost.

Prior to joining Sharp Labs, Van Oosterhout served as director of software and technology at CalComp Inc., where he led the research and development of new software and technology initiatives for the company's printing and imaging lines. Additionally, as director of research at DuPont, he formed two research initiatives to develop high-resolution color laser printing technologies and products.

Sharp Labs Innovations Advance Global Electronics Industry

Sharp Labs was created for Sharp Corporation by Clemens in 1995, as the first U.S.-based lab for Sharp Corporation. A subsidiary of Sharp Electronics Corporation in Mahwah, NJ, Sharp Labs fulfills a critical role for Sharp Corporation, performing fundamental and applied research and monitoring technology trends and business development opportunities for the U.S. market, which results in new products and innovations for Sharp. These innovations, in turn, have been incorporated in Sharp's one-of-a-kind product strategy to continually evolve the performance of its electronics products.

"Sharp Labs has developed an excellent reputation for its innovative technologies, which have had an impact on the R&D community, and for its ability to identify North American marketplace opportunities for Sharp Corporation," said Curtis Carlson, Ph.D., president and CEO of SRI International. Carlson and Clemens worked together at RCA Labs and Sarnoff Corporation, an SRI subsidiary.

As a result of the high caliber of scientists and researchers Sharp Labs has attracted, Sharp Labs has achieved a number of milestones that have contributed to Sharp Corporation's reputation for high quality, one-of-a-kind electronics products and technology leadership. Its milestones are significant not only to Sharp, but also to the global electronics industry. These milestones and accomplishments include:

-- Development of Sharp's proprietary Bit Depth Extension

technology for liquid-crystal televisions (LCTVs), resulting

from applied research based on human visual system modeling;

-- Leadership in establishing standards and policies, such as

MPEG7, HomePlug, WiMedia, and certain FCC standards;

-- Research and development of Sharp's resistor RAM (RRAM)

technology;

-- Responsibility for serving as Sharp Corporation's liaison and

gateway to other top U.S. based companies, including

Microsoft, Cisco, Verizon and others, whose collaboration is

key to Sharp's success in this market;

-- Founding a branch of Sharp Labs in India, allowing the Lab to

leverage the software development expertise found in Bangalore

to support its software and IP research. The presence of the

India Lab, along with additional research facilities in

Virginia and California, have helped Sharp Labs realize an

around-the-clock research and development process that is

critical to help keep Sharp Corporation competitive.

-- Securing significant numbers of patents every year - 286 since

its founding - for their innovative ideas and technologies.

Van Oosterhout's appointment was effective September 1, 2003. He will reside at the lab's headquarters in Camas, Washington.

About Sharp Labs of America

Based in Camas, Washington, Sharp Labs of America is part of Sharp Corporation's global research and development network, and is a subsidiary of Sharp Electronics Corporation, Mahwah, NJ. As a corporate research lab, Sharp Labs has become a leader in the industry by foreseeing trends and creating advanced technologies in areas such as LCD-based televisions, consumer electronics and digital information technology. Creating the next generation of technologies is the goal of each of Sharp Labs' six core research and development units: Digital Audio/Video, Multimedia Communications, Digital Imaging Systems, Information Systems Technologies, IC Process Technology and LCD Process Technology. Sharp Labs also pursues business development opportunities for Sharp Corporation in the digital cable industry. Sharp Labs utilizes the integral resources of affiliated offices and facilities in Huntington Beach, California; Vienna, Virginia; Japan and India. For more information, visit www.sharplabs.com, or call 360-817-8400.