ST confirms Vietnam location
By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- EDN, November 27, 2007
STMicroelectronics has confirmed reports that it has opened an office in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The office officially opened on November 22, in the presence of Herve Novelli, secretary of state for enterprises and trade, France, and Du Huu Hao, deputy minister of industry and trade, Vietnam, according to a representative for ST.
While the location is far from being ST’s largest office -- housing just four engineers, one administrator and a country manager -- it is further evidence of Vietnam’s growing presence in the global electronics market. Indeed, Vietnam, which entered the World Trade Organization (WTO) in January, has seen interest from some of the industry’s biggest players, including Intel, which has said it plans to invest more than a billion dollars there.
“ST has a long history of successful cooperation with companies that it partners with, including those in emerging markets. Our business model focuses on developing business opportunities directly with our partners without any intermediaries,” a representative for ST told Electronic News.
“We do not see this as just another opportunity to sell a few more microchips,” the representative continued. “We see this as an opportunity to build strategic partnerships with all the players in the entire local electronics industry ecosystem -- government, universities, system integrators, local entrepreneurs, manufacturers, etc.”
The representative said that ST will initially focus on segments such as smartcards, RFID, electronic-metering, lighting, automotive electronics, home appliances, digital set-top boxes in Vietnam.
