December 1, 2004
Despite concerns of oversupply in the global flat panel display market, Asahi Glass Fine Techno Taiwan Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asahi Glass of Japan, has announced that it will continue with its original plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Taiwan. The glass substrate supplier, which was recently presented with an award for being an outstanding foreign business in Taiwan, remains confident in the future of the flat panel market and will pursue its plans to construct the Japanese company's largest flat panel glass furnace at the Yunlin County branch of the Central Taiwan Science Park. The new furnace could go on line as early as the second quarter of 2005.
Asahi Glass Fine Techno Taiwan was established in July 2000. It has added new high-tech production lines to its plant every year since then. These activities have made the glass maker one of the largest foreign investors in Taiwan in recent years. It mainly supplies flat panel makers in Taiwan. Asahi Glass also possesses the only glass substrate manufacturing technology that does not rely on the hazardous substance arsenic.
Some analysts have suggested that Asahi's expansion in Taiwan may even enable it to challenge Corning Inc. of the US for the leadership of the world's glass substrate supply market. However, Corning is reported to be investing
USD 600 million at its factories in Taiwan and Japan over the next two years.
While there are currently certain concerns about oversupply in the flat panel market, this situation is expected to improve in 2005, and may even help with the introduction of flat screen televisions, which are currently priced out of the range of the average household, to the general consumer market.
(United Daily News, Taipei Times)
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