Thursday, December 3, 2009

Taiwan's AU Optronics says to build LCD plant in Slovakia

AU Optronics president Kuen Yao Lee

BRATISLAVA — Taiwan's hi-tech giant AU Optronics said on Wednesday it would invest 191.3 million euros (288.6 million dollars) in a new plant producing components for liquid crystal displays (LCD) in Slovakia.

"Slovakia will become our main base for the production of LCD components in Europe," AU Optronics president Kuen Yao Lee told journalists.

"Slovakia's location in the centre of Europe was a key factor for the decision," he added after signing an investment contract with the Slovak government.

AU Optronics, the world's third largest LCD maker, expects to start building the plant covering 200,000 square metres in the western Slovak town of Trencin in early 2010.

After the launch of production in the first quarter of 2011, the factory will create 1,300 direct and 2,000 indirect jobs.

Slovakia's government will support the investment with 38.3 million euros in direct stimuli and tax relief.

Slovakia, a country of 5.4 million people which joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2009, is already home to LCD plants run by Japan's Sony Corp. and South-Korea's Samsung Electronics.

AU Optronics' project is the biggest foreign investment in Slovakia since the global economic crisis hit its economy, which leans on cars and electronics production, last year

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5irZSGgQwNJt188M3vuguYWPGPnIQ

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