Osram builds state-of-the-art factory in Regensburg
On a 40,000m2 site in Regensburg-Burgweinting, Osram Opto Semiconductors is building a factory for fabricating chips for LEDs, laser diodes and sensors. Total investment for the first phase of construction will be around euro 120 million.
The bulldozers will be arriving on site in July and production is due to start at the end of 2002.
"By the time production is running, we plan to have 1600 people working on this site; in other words, we ll be creating around 500 new jobs here", said Bopst. The current site at Regensburg-West is no longer large enough to cope with the rapid growth in capacity. There are plans initially to run the two factories in parallel and switch production entirely to the new site at a later date.
Osram is investing in Regensburg primarily because there are so many highly skilled workers in its catchment area. For LED chip fabrication it is also important that the factory should be close to the development department, which is already located in Regensburg.
Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH & Co. OHG, Regensburg, is a joint Venture between Osram GmbH, the lighting manufacturer, and Infineon Technologies AG, the semiconductor manufacturer. It ranks second on the global optical components market. Optoelectronic semiconductors convert electrical energy directly into light (LEDs being the most common application) or light into electrical energy. Dr. Bopst continues: "Optical semiconductors will revolutionise the world of light. We are already active on the future technologies market, for example with display lighting for mobile communications or for intelligent traffic control." LEDs last longer, are much smaller, more rugged and more economical than incandescent lamps.
Osram Opto Semiconductors employs 3,980 people worldwide and expects sales in the current fiscal year to reach euro 360 million. Osram, the second largest lamp manufacturer in the world has a 51 percent majority shareholding in the joint venture and employs more than 36,000 people worldwide. In the 1999/2000 fiscal year Osram achieved total sales of euro 4.3 billion.
