Toshiba (TYO:6502) has decided to shut several fabs as well as an assembly plant due to a very slow uptake of products in Europe and the US, the company said in a press release.
The involved fabs are located in Kitakyushu and Hamaoka. These fabs produce optical components. In addition an assembly facility in Mobara will be closed as well.
Toshiba plans to consolidate its manufacturing at : Hijimeji Operations Semiconductor (Ibo-gun, Hyogo prefecture); Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corp. (Nomi, Ishikawa prefecture); and Buzen Toshiba Electronics Corporation (Buzen, Fukuoka prefecture), according to the press release.
Toshiba plans to, in principle, keep everybody employed, but in new positions and in new locations. It looks as if Toshiba aims to continue policies of lifetime employment.
It is especially the market for MCU’s in Europe and the US that is the cause for the consolidation, which comes as a preemptive move. Other semiconductor companies have not yet announced similar plans, but we expect other companies to announce similar moves in the coming weeks and months.
Toshiba’s manufacturing of NAND flash is unaffected by these cutbacks and it seems that NAND prices recently have stabilized, whereas DRAM prices continue to fall.S|A
Mads Ølholm
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