Foxconn To Begin Manufacturing TVs in U.S. Soon?

Foxconn already has a silent presence in the US; a partnership sees the Taiwanese company manufacture many of Vizio’s panels in Asia. Last month, Vizio and Foxconn demonstrated a 120-inch 4K TV at CES, and it appears that Foxconn’s chairman believes the only way that TV and similar models will make it to US stores will be if they’re made in the country.

A new TV plant in the US would represent a major investment in the country’s marginalized electronics manufacturing industry. Foxconn previously announced plans to open a $30 million facility in Pennsylvania that will employ 500. That plant is focused chiefly on research and development, an area that should be bolstered by a partnership with a further $10 million investment in research at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University. Foxconn has also been meeting with Google recently to discuss a partnership in advanced manufacturing robotics, something that could be important for the creation of electronics in a country with relatively expensive labor when compared to China.