Hitachi Ltd has preliminary agreement with a Taiwanese consortium to set up a $225m joint venture to make large-screen cathode ray tubes to reduce Taiwan’s dependence on imports from Japan. Hitachi says it will transfer technology to the venture but that investment details have not been finalised. It looks to start building by the end of the year, with production next year. The consortium, consisting of eight monitor makers and venture capital companies will hold the majority of the venture, which plans to produce 3m 15 and above tubes annually. Taiwan produces nothing bigger than 14 tubes, at a rate of between 7m and 8m a year but it accounts for over half world monitor production.
