Samsung builds LCD<br>plant in Slovakia

In November last year the government investment agency said that Slovakia was in intensive talks with Samsung. Slovakia was competing with the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary for the new plant. The economy ministry said Samsung Electronics was expected to spend approximately USD 613.7 million by 2010 on the project, local media reports. Samsung already runs its largest plant in Europe in the south western Slovak town of Galanta, where it makes LCD TVs and monitors, plasma screens and other appliances. In September last year Sony announced a plan to build a new flat-screen TV plant in Slovakia for EUR 73 million to tap rising demand in Europe. Sony and Samsung run a joint-venture in South Korea to produce TV panels.