Hyundai Motor Co. opened its first assembly plant in 1968 in Ulsan, South Korea, and over the following decades has grown the site to include five independent manufacturing plants over 1.9 sq miles. Now the automaker is preparing to add electric vehicle production to the facility with construction of a $1.5-billion plant. It would be Hyundai’s first new facility built in its home country in 29 years.
Construction recently began and is scheduled to complete in 2025 for production to start in early 2026, according to Hyundai. The automaker plans for the 5.9-million-sq-ft plant to produce 200,000 EVs annually.
Last year, global EV sales increased 35% to 14 million, according to the International Energy Agency. It projects another 18% rise this year.
.8%
The decline in European Union countries’ manufacturing output in Q2 2023
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Poland
Semiconductor Chip Plant
Intel is set to spend as much as $4.6 billion building a semiconductor chip assembly and test facility near Wroclaw. Design is underway, and construction still requires European Commission approval. The chipmaker says the plant would be part of an end-to-end semiconductor value chain in Europe. Production began this year at a new chip plant at Intel’s production site in Leixlip, Ireland, and the company has also announced plans to build a wafer fabrication plant in Magdeburg, Germany. The European Union has set a goal of claiming 20% of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity by 2030.
Germany
Medical Device Plant
Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Co. recently announced plans to build a $2.5-billion high-tech manufacturing plant in Alzey, Rhineland-Palatinate. The facility, which would produce injectable products and devices, would be Lilly’s sixth manufacturing site in Europe. Construction is expected to involved about 1,900 workers and is scheduled to start next year, although it still requires government permitting approvals.
India
Toyota Production Expansion
Toyota Kirloskar Motor, a joint venture of the automaker and Indian conglomerate Kirloskar Group, recently signed an agreement with the government of the Karnataka state to expand its local manufacturing footprint. The company plans to build a $400-million plant to add 100,000 units to its annual production capacity.
Taiwan
Electronic Component Plant
Technology firm Wiwynn Corp.’s board of directors approved a plan to build a $194-million printed circuit board assembly plant in Taiwan. Wiwynn plans to manufacture the assemblies for cloud computing and AI servers. In addition to production, the facility will accelerate pilot runs and introduction of new products, the company says. Wiwynn plans to build the plant in alignment with green building standards.
