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Dutch high tech company VDL to construct factory in Vietnam

Dutch high tech company VDL will develop a new factory to make semiconductor production elements in Vietnam, it said on Wednesday, as the Asian country grows in value as an assembly and product packaging hub in the chipmaking market.

Vietnam is home to Intel's biggest chip product packaging and screening plant, and is bring in interest from other chipmakers as they look for to diversify their Asian operations to reduce the effect of U.S.-China trade tensions over semiconductors.

VDL, which has other facilities in China and in Singapore, said its move was not made with geopolitical considerations in mind. Nevertheless, much of its consumers are following a China Plus One strategy of diversifying their production base to include locations outside China.

VDL's international clients are asking for even better international coverage, with local production for the regional market, the business said.

A spokesperson for the company said he could not define the size of the investment in northeast Vietnam, but that it would include millions of euros and the website will use 60 workers.

Eindhoven, Netherlands-based VDL is a crucial provider to Europe's biggest tech business ASML, making its wafer dealing with systems, though the Vietnam factory will not provide ASML.

The financial investment choice follows several sees by Dutch business to the region, including a hunting mission by ASML providers a year back, and a visit by Prime Minister Mark Rutte in November that led to an investment by Dutch chip packaging devices maker BE Semiconductor Industries. VDL's investment was announced on Wednesday as the Dutch Facilities Minister Mark Harbers is visiting Hanoi.

(source: Reuters)