Foxconn Technology Group may not make liquid crystal display panels at its planned $10 billion campus in Mount Pleasant, according to a report from Reuters citing Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn chairman Terry Gou.
According to the report, Foxconn is “still evaluating” its options but Woo is quoted as saying “In Wisconsin we’re not building a factory.”
Instead, the company would focus on creating a “technology hub” made up largely of research facilities along with packaging and assembly operations, according to the Reuters report by Jess Macy Yu and Karl Plume.
When Foxconn originally announced its plans at the White House in July 2017, its plans were for a Gen 10.5 LCD fabrication facility that would have produced the largest display screens in the world.
Then just before a groundbreaking for the facility last year, Woo confirmed the company would instead be building a Gen 6 plant to create smaller screens.
It now appears the company may not have any fabrication facility at its Mount Pleasant campus. Last fall, construction crews were preparing a massive building pad for what officials described as the first “fab” at the site.
In a statement today, Foxconn said it remains committed to the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park project, the name given to the Mount Pleasant campus. The company also said it is still committed to creating 13,000 jobs in Wisconsin.
“As we have previously noted, the global market environment that existed when the project was first announced has changed,” the statement said. “As our plans are driven by those of our customers, this has necessitated the adjustment of plans for all projects, including Wisconsin. While the project’s focus will be adjusted to meet these new realities, the Wisconsin project remains a priority for our company.”
The company said it is still considering opportunities for thin-film-transistor technology in the state and is broadening the base of its planned investment in Wisconsin beyond what was initially planned.
“In addition to our consideration of plans to produce traditional products such as television sets, we are also examining ways for Wisconsin’s knowledge workers to promote research and development in advanced industrial internet technologies and produce high-tech applications and solutions for industries such as education, medical and health care, entertainment and sports, security, and smart cities,” the statement said.
