HP to build PC manufacturing plant in Chongqing

HP and China’s Chongqing Municipality have announced plans for an advanced manufacturing complex to strengthen HP’s ability to serve the fast growing Chinese market and accelerate economic development in West China. HP plans to operate a 20,000-square-meter facility in Chongqing, where it will make notebook and desktop PCs for customers in the country, according to the terms of a memorandum of understanding with the Chongqing Municipality.
According to IDC Asia, HP is the leading foreign manufacturer of PCs in China. Manufacturing operations are expected to begin in 2010. When in full operation, the HP-managed plant is expected to have the capacity to meet market demand in Chongqing as well as other parts of China across government, public and retail sectors.
Chongqing is one of the fastest growing cities in China. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2007, its GDP was $410 billion (RMB) with a growth rate of 15.6 percent over the prior year. The city has 500,000 university students and more than 1,000 research and development institutions. In addition to the educated work force, development conditions offered by the local government made the development attractive to HP.
This news follows a joint announcement related to an HP Global Call Center to provide sales-related support for HP products and services and the development of an information-sharing platform for Chongqing’s University Town that will help reduce redundant IT investments by tertiary institutions. HP also has manufacturing operations in Shanghai.
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