Japan“s leading fiber optic cable and optical devices manufacturer and supplier, Nippon Sheet Glass Co. (NSGCL) has firmed up plans to locate at the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) in the Philippi…
Japan“s leading fiber optic cable and optical devices manufacturer and supplier, Nippon Sheet Glass Co. (NSGCL) has firmed up plans to locate at the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) in the Philippines. NSGCL“s investment in Clark will boost trade and technology transfer in the Philippines as it hosts more firms in high technology and high value industries. The company will establish its base at the Clark Premier Industrial Park (CPIP), a 3-hectare facility for the production of various glass-based produce including micro optic items such as Selfoc lens arrays, microlenses and fibers optical devices, planar microlenses, and scanner light sources. These are key products used in the telecommunications industry, particularly in dense-wavelength division multiplexing. Clark Development Corporation, the government corporate entity managing the CSEZ said NSGCL will invest some P1 billion (US$21.6 million) in the project that will employ about 3,000 workers in the next five years. “Clark is an ideal place for industries in information technology and communications. Nippon glass is one of the projects that will help Clark assert its role in the IT sector as more areas inside the Zone are made available for these types of projects,” said Hiana Timbol-Roman, CDC executive vice president. Establishing in 1918, NSGCL has evolved to its present high-technology products from merely producing glass panels for vehicles, buildings and residential facilities. It is now into the production of high-end and high-value glass-based items such as substrates for plasma display panels (for flat wall television), fine glass (LCD display panels, optical semiconductor chips (for photocopier and printer heads). With its 70 consolidated subsidiaries worldwide, NSGCL had posted an income of 270,654 million yen (US$2.553 million) in 1999 or 8.5 percent higher than its 1999 output. While its headquarters is in Japan, it has operations bases in Europe and North America. Recently,it has focused its business development efforts in Asia. CPIP, located at Clark“s Industrial Estate five currently hosts four other Japanese firms that are into IT and knowledge-based industries. The four other Japanese firms are SMK Phils., maker of touch panel displays and universal remote control; Shin-El Phils, maker of metal molding press and slim CD ROM; K. Industry, lead frames assembler; and Nannex Phils, maker of liquid crystal displays.