Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (41155)	12/27/2000 11:12:49 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

UMC plant investment sets record FABS: The plan to build a production facility in Singapore by United Microelectronics and Siemens Group is making big waves in Singapore STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA Taiwan-based United Microelec-tronics Corp's (UMC, ÁpµØ¹q¤l) plans to build a wafer plant in Singapore has set a record for such an investment in that city state, Chuang Cheng-yuan, director of the economic affairs division of Taiwan's representative office in Singapore said Sunday. UMC and German-based Siemens Group recently announced the US$3.6 billion joint venture to build a 12-inch wafer plant. UMC will hold at least half of the wafer plant's stake, meaning the capital it injects into the project will total at least US$1.8 billion. Taiwan investments in the Southeast Asian nation, including UMC's project, is expected to reach at least US$1.89 billion next year, the highest annual level for investments from Taiwan, he said. UMC signed an agreement with the Siemens Group earlier this month, and construction on the wafer plant is scheduled to start next year. As a result, the investment value will not be noted on the Singapore government's statistics as an investment from abroad for this year. As of the end of August, Taiwan's realized direct investment in Singapore had topped US$125 million, according to Singapore statistics. It is expected that the figure will reach around US$195 million for the year. Taiwan's investments in Singapore are primarily focused on the electronics and banking sectors. At end of last year, Taiwan's total direct investment in Singapore hit about US$950 million, with the figure expected to rise to US$1.15 billion his year. In related news, President Chen Shui-bian (³¯¤ô«ó) is scheduled to visit a 12-inch wafer foundry set up by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC ¥xÆW¿nÅé¹q¸ô¤½¥q) today in the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park. The foundry is the latest addition to TSMC as the company announced last week they began producing wafers on their 12-inch pilot line at the Tainan science park. The Fab 6 plant, opened in March this year and is "TSMC's last 8-inch production facility and its first 12-inch production facility," Morris Chang (±i©¾¿Ñ), the company's president, said. When fully utilized next year, the new production line will be able to produce 4,500 wafers per month, about one-third the capacity of an 8-inch wafer production facility. The pilot run will use 0.18, 0.15, and 0.13 micron technology. This is the President Chen's second visit to a chipmaker during the past seven days. Last week, he visited UMC's facilities in the Hsinchu Science-basded Industrial Park. Chen said the while government does not oppose making high-tech investments abroad, they should keep their management roots based in Taiwan. taipeitimes.com