Foxconn, as a multi-billion dollar company, makes investment decisions carefully based on the commitment of the people they work with. The selection process for the LCD factory project in Wisconsin involved considering the partnership potential at the state and local level. Ohio and Wisconsin were determined to be the best partners, with Ohio being closer to the eastern seaboard and having better logistics. However, Wisconsin was chosen as the top choice for the project. Foxconn did inform the Wisconsin administration about the project details and had ongoing discussions. The idea of a Gen 6 or Gen 10.5 fab was considered, but ultimately the commitment was made to build the fab in Wisconsin. The accountability for the lack of a factory lies with Foxconn, as they made the decision to choose Wisconsin and proceeded with the project despite the challenges.
Alan Yeung is a professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the former head of the Foxconn project in Wisconsin. If you don’t quite remember, the Foxconn project in Wisconsin was announced in 2017 as a massive deal to build the first “Generation 10.5” LCD factory in North America. It was also one of the first big moments in the Trump presidency, complete with President Trump holding a golden shovel at a lavish groundbreaking ceremony where he said the factory would be “the eighth wonder of the world.”
But it turned out that while Foxconn was putting on a great show, no LCD factory was actually getting built, even though Foxconn kept saying it was happening.
Links
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The award winning story from Josh Dzieza - The 8th wonder of the world
Wisconsin's $4.1 billion Foxconn factory boondoggle
Foxconn’s $100M deal with the University of Wisconsin has students worried
What a new governor means for Wisconsin’s controversial Foxconn factory
Foxconn and the village: the $10B factory deal that turned one small Wisconsin town upside down
No one seems to know what Foxconn is doing in Wisconsin
After a ‘personal conversation’ with Trump, Foxconn says it will build a factory in Wisconsin after all
Foxconn is confusing the hell out of Wisconsin
Foxconn promised a ‘correction’ about empty buildings in Wisconsin two weeks ago, and it hasn’t said a word since
With Foxconn chief’s Trump meeting, the Wisconsin project gets even more political
One month ago, Foxconn said its innovation centers weren’t empty — they still are
Foxconn’s delays might finally give Wisconsin the upper hand
One year after Trump’s Foxconn groundbreaking, there is almost nothing to show for it
Even fixing Wisconsin’s Foxconn deal won’t fix it, says state-requested report
Foxconn’s first announced product for its Wisconsin factory is an airport coffee robot
Foxconn releases and immediately cancels plans for a giant dome in Wisconsin
Foxconn's giant glass dome in Wisconsin is back, baby
Exclusive: documents show Foxconn refuses to renegotiate Wisconsin deal
Foxconn’s buildings in Wisconsin are still empty, one year later
Exclusive: Wisconsin denies Foxconn tax subsidies after contract negotiations fail
The 8th wonder of the world
Exclusive: Wisconsin report confirms Foxconn's “LCD factory” isn't real
Foxconn tells Wisconsin it never promised to build an LCD factory
Intel selects Ohio for ‘largest silicon manufacturing location on the planet’
Transcript:
https://www.theverge.com/e/22794506
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.
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