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500 New Jobs:
Osram Announces World’s Most Advanced Optoelectronics Chip Factory
REGENSBURG April 7, 2003 - With the world’s most advanced optoelectronics chip factory, which opened today in Regensburg, Germany, Osram will be able to double its production capacity of opto- semiconductors by the year 2005. Dr. Wolf-Dieter Bopst, President of Osram, said "This will give us the platform to become number one in the midterm in this dynamic growth market." Market research institutes expect opto-semiconductors to register annual growth rates in double figures.
The investment for the new factory is around 120 million euros and will create about 500 new local jobs in the midterm. This investment is being made in Regensburg because Osram already has a highly trained workforce in this city engaged in the production of optoelectronic chips. The region also has a good supply of well-trained workers. For the fabrication of optoelectronic chips it is important that the factory should be close to the development department, which is also already located in Regensburg.
Opto-semiconductors have a strategic importance for Osram because light emitting diodes are rapidly addressing more and more areas of application. These tiny light emitting chips are now being used wherever miniaturization, long life and colored light are needed, principally in automotive, signal and effect lighting In the long term, light emitting diodes will be used for all automotive lighting - including headlights - and will become commonplace in general room lighting. The new factory in Regensburg for manufacturing chips for light emitting diodes (LED), laser diodes and sensors was built on a 9 acre site with space for further expansion. The current cleanroom floor area is 3300 m².
The cleanroom area at the old site in Regensburg-West was no longer large enough to cope with the rapid growth in capacity. The two factories will now work in parallel until the entire operation transfers to the new site in two years time.
About Osram
Osram is the second largest lamp manufacturer in the world, achieved total sales of 4.4 billion euros in fiscal year 2002 and employed more than 35,000 people worldwide.
About Osram Opto Semiconductors
Osram Opto Semiconductors is a subsidiary of Osram. The company offers its customers solutions based on semiconductor technology for the lighting, sensor and visualization. The company has sites in Regensburg, San Jose (USA) and Penang (Malaysia). In the 2002 fiscal year (to the end of September) its 3.370 employees produced sales totaling EURO 309 million.
For more information, please visit www.osram-os.com.
500 New Jobs:
Osram Announces World’s Most Advanced Optoelectronics Chip Factory
Osram is rapidly developing from a manufacturer of traditional light bulbs into a hightech company in the lighting industry. The new Regensburg factory will be fabricating LED chips under cleanroom conditions. Special chemicals are used to treat the surfaces of the chips. Our picture shows Bettina Froschauer checking a feed valve.
Press contact:
OSRAM
Marion Reichl
Tel: +49-941-850-1693
Fax: +49-941-850-4441693
Email: marion.reichl@osram-os.com