XN000022-1988-01-03 — Page 9

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 1988

THE PROJECT WILL ALSO HELP THE LOCAL MOVE INTO THE CURRENT GENERATION OF MODERN MINIATURISATION.

ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY TO CIRCUITRY AND PRODUCT

ASIA

THE PLANT WILL ACCOMMODATE MOTOROLA SEMICONDUCTORS PACIFIC DIVISION HEADQUARTERS, REGIONAL COMPUTER CENTRE, DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING CENTRE FOR ASIC, BIPOLAR/MOS LSI SEMICONDUCTOR.

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IN EXPLAINING WHY THEY NAMED THEIR LATEST PROJECT "SILICON HARBOUR" VICE-PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER OF MOTOROLA'S ASIA PACIFIC DIVISION, MR C.D. TAM SAID THE COMPANY FELT THAT THEY COULD GENERATE A PHENOMENON FOR THE HONG KONG ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY SIMILAR TO SILICON VALLEY IN CALIFORNIA.

A LOT OF PIONEERING EFFORT WAS DONK IN THE WEST COAST OF CALIFORNIA WHEN THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY WAS BORN MANY YEARS AGO.

FROM THAT A MAJOR HIGH-TECH ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY HAS DEVELOPED,

ROM THAT GIVING BIRTH TO WHAT IS KNOWN TODAY AS THE SILICON VALLEY.

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MR TAM NOTED THAT THE GLOBAL SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY HAD GROWN FROM ABOUT U.S.$14 BILLION IN 1981 TO U.S.$27 BILLION IN 1986

AND THAT IT WOULD EXCEED U.S.$32 BILLION IN 1987. BY 1992 IT WAS EXPECTED TO EXCEED U.S.$60 BILLION.

WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF THE HIGH TECHNOLOGY ZONE

IN THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, THE DECISION TO LOCATE THE ADVANCED FACILITY IN HONG KONG WAS MADE IN 1987.

MR TAM ALSO NOTED THAT THE PROJECT FORMS PART OF MOTOROLA SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCT SECTOR'S FIVE-YEAR DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING

PLAN.

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"WITHOUT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S FORESIGHT IN BUILDING THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, THIS PROJECT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE IN HONG KONG AND WOULD MOST CERTAINLY BE LOCATED IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, EVEN THOUGH TECHNICAL AND SKILLED PEOPLE ARE AVAILABLE AND CAN BE TRAINED HERE,

COMMENTED MR TAM.

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THE

FOR A PROJECT AS HUGE AS THE MOTOROLA'S "SILICON HARBOUR" CRITERIA FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A LOW-RISE MODERN BUILDING INCLUDE A VERY HIGH CEILING FOR THE GROUND FLOOR, STRONG FOUNDATIONS FOR HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND VERY SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR THE CLEAN ROOM ALL WITHIN A SINGLE LARGE SITE.

THIS IS POSSIBLE AT THE TAI PO INDUSTRIAL

ESTATE, WHICH ALSO

PROVIDES AN AESTHETIC ENVIRONMENT.

"IN ADDITION, THE SITE IS LOCATED IN AN AREA CLOSE TO MAJOR POPULATION CENTRES SO THAT PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL PEOPLE, PLUS SKILLED WORKERS, ARE AVAILABLE,' SAID MR TAM.

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