Japanese firms gear capital into high-tech field in Vietnam
Japanese firms have recently poured capital into many large-scale, high-tech projects in Vietnam.
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During a recent working session with authorities of southern Binh Duong province, Executive Managing Officer of Sharp Corporation Yoshihiro Hashimoto mentioned a plan to build a factory worth nearly US$2 billion to manufacture high-tech camera modules and smart phone screens in the province.
In the first stage, Sharp plans to spend roughly US$300 million, about US$200 million of which will be for machinery and equipment. The location of the plant is under discussion.
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If the project is successful, Sharp will become the largest investor in Binh Duong.
Earlier in 2009, Binh Duong granted a licence to Sharp’s Sai Gon Stec Company to manufacture electronic spare parts and high-tech camera modules, worth a total US$340 million.
Le Hoai Quoc, head of the Saigon High-Tech Park (SHTP) management board, said many Japanese-invested projects will be licensed in the near future, notably a US$250 million investment in the second phase of a complex featuring a high-tech hospital and a research and development institute for living science by Japan’s Allied Telesis and the US’s Quantus Corporation.
In the second stage, the project will focus on equipment procurement and medical treatment using modern devices such as proton beam and laser therapy for cancer treatment, use of helicopters for patient transport, and stem cells in cardiovascular care and orthopedic surgery.
According to Quoc, Nidec’s Research and Development Centre will also be licensed in the foreseeable future. Nidec now has five projects in SHTP with total registered capital of upwards US$446 million, targeting precision engineering – automation, optical reading heads, magnetic stripe cards, high-precision compact motors and motor spare parts.
He added that major Japanese enterprises such as Nipro and Jabil also plan to expand their operations in SHTP, opening up a prospect that Japan will become one of the largest investors in SHTP.
