Intel Corp. this week announced plans to build a $375 million assembly and test plant in western China’s Sichuan province and a research and development center for digital home and wireless communications in South Korea.
The company said the plant will create 675 jobs, expected to be filled locally, and is scheduled to open in 2005. According to reports, the company plans to invest $200 million initially in the plant with another $175 million to follow.
“China is a huge market for Intel,” said Wee Theng Tang, president of Intel China. “The west China market is an important part of the overall equation as well. So it supports our agenda to put a site there that supports our business objective, which is growing the market and supporting the growth.”
According to a statement, the South Korean R&D center will concentrate on developing technologies for the digital home and wireless solutions. Projects will include ultra-wideband wireless technology and WiMax last-mile wireless broadband.
Craig Barrett, Intel chief executive officer, discussed plans for the South Korean R&D center as he visited the country on the final leg of a four-nation Asian tour.
Earlier this week, Intel also said it would open a communications chip design center in Taiwan that eventually would employ up to 60 people.
In other news, the chipmaker has stopped selling its branded wireless networking products to focus on Centrino. According to reports, Intel ended sales of Intel Pro/Wireless 2011, 2011B, 2000/5000 and Xircom wireless-branded products at about the time the Centrino chip line was introduced.
