October 18, 2001 – Shanghai, China – Applied Materials Inc. marked the opening of the company’s major new facility and technical training center in the Pudong Zhangjiang High-Tech Park, Shanghai. The opening ceremony was officiated by James Morgan, chairman and CEO of Applied, and was attended by Samuel Bodman, deputy secretary of the US Department of Commerce, Zhou Yu Peng, vice mayor of Shanghai, and other officials from the US and China.
Establishing offices in Beijing in 1984, Applied Materials was the first semiconductor equipment company to operate a service center in the People’s Republic of China, offering system service and support to local semiconductor manufacturers, according to the company. Applied Materials China maintains sales and support offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Wuxi.
The new 90,000-square-foot facility will incorporate a state-of-the-art technical training center where engineers and customers will receive training on Applied’s wafer processing equipment. The Pudong facility will also serve as the regional center for administration, sales, and marketing for the company.
According to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, the planned semiconductor fab investment in China is expected to reach over $4 billon in 2002 to meet fast-growing domestic semiconductor demands.
In other news, Applied Materials’ Shanghai Research and Development Fund will award 32 scholarships to students at local universities and research institutes to promote technology innovation in China.
The fund, established jointly with the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai, has targeted undergraduates and masters students pursuing degrees in engineering and materials science for the scholarships.
Since its establishment in 1994, the fund has sponsored 60 R&D projects, more than 80 scholarships and two Chinese patents.
In addition to supporting research projects and scholarships, the fund is planning an international information technology forum in November 2001 in Shanghai. The forum will bring science and technology dignitaries from around the world to meet with leaders of local semiconductor companies, universities, and institutes. The fund also launched a management development seminar for government and high-tech leaders.
A six-member council, consisting of three representatives from Applied Materials and three from the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai, manage the fund and evaluate the projects and applications that receive funding. Morgan, and Zhu Ji Ping, chairman of China’s Science and Technology Commission, serve as honorary advisors to the council. Applied Materials has contributed US$ 2 million to the fund since its establishment.