BUSINESS

Recently you presented an ambitious development

plan that expands production capacity and

introduces new production processes in Rožnov.

Let’s now look into the future. Where would you

like to be in 5-10 years?

We will continue to work on those technologies that

have been around for a long time, like the silicon

chips. However, the area where we must focus

our efforts and where we expect to see the most

growth, is in the automotive industry and silicon

carbide technology. We are in a unique position

to take advantage of this rare opportunity. From

solutions and technical infrastructure. How can you

cope with all this?

In the last two years, we have invested $400 million in

research, development and production of polished silicon

carbide and epitaxial wafers. We have gained confidence

in our capability to produce a world-class semiconductor

infrastructure. We are aware of the need for skilled

employees so we have been collaborating with universities

and are looking to train new talents. However, we would

also like to get involved and work more with the high

schools. Our vision and strategy extend well beyond a five

year timeline.

a semiconductor perspective, these are relatively

conservative customers, but as electric vehicles

start to gain massive traction, car manufacturers are

building new supply chains. They need completely

new components based on the semiconductor

chips that we produce. The company has long-term

contracts with leading car manufacturers, such as

Volkswagen, Mercedes, Tesla, Hyundai and Nio. We

have the ambition to be the world‘s most important

supplier for this market segment and because

of those ambitions, the corporation recently

announced that it will invest another $2 billion in

this sector. Rožnov and Onsemi production lines

are also competing for this investment with the USA

and Korea. Our aim is to bring the production of

a new generation of chips to Rožnov, significantly

strengthening the European automotive market.

The goal is to set up the supply chain for the next

10-20 years so that car manufacturers have no

need to make any changes, making this a unique

opportunity for us.

Rožnov pod Radhoštěm is a relatively small town with

16 000 inhabitants. Do you have any ideas for future

cooperation with the town leadership?

After the announcement of the investment was to be

directed here in Rožnov, we presented our intentions to

the city and we agreed to create a working committee

to address various aspects of a cooperation. We also want

to serve not just Rožnov, but include wider areas like Zlín

and the Moravian-Silesian Region. We plan to continue our

projects in the industrial area , known as the former Tesla

Rožnov, which had gradually been growing since 1949 until

it was sold off in parts in 1989. We aim to revitalise the long

neglected areas of the complex and try to elevate them

to a modern industrial level by implementing architectural

solutions and incorporating green spaces. We do not

intend to build on any „greenfield“ sites, but instead plan

to implement all new revitalisations within the existing

industrial area. Therefore, prioritising environmental

conservation while partnering and working together for

what is best for the city.

You have bold investment plans that require things

like money, skilled labour, modern and sophisticated

Thank you for the interview. We wish you and the city of

Rožnov that all your good intentions come to fruition as

quickly as possible.

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