Foxconn and Rockwell Automation will develop Connected Enterprise and IIoT solutions.
Hon Hai Precision Industry (a.k.a., Foxconn) recently committed to building a USD$10 billion factory in Wisconsin. The new factory is scheduled to open in 2020 and create 3,000 jobs. However, Foxconn said in a statement to The Washington Post that the number of jobs generated, “has the ‘potential to grow’ to 13,000.”
The Washington Post and other media outlets have alluded to the convenient political advantages in Foxconn’s commitment for Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker, who’s up for re-election next year.
Aside from the size of the capital investment, the new plant is also notable for its physical size: approximately 20 million square feet.
The Wisconsin plant will manufacture liquid-crystal display (LCD) panels for television and computer screens.
The Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) pointed out that Foxconn has made promises to invest in the US in past that fell through, writing, “Foxconn promised in 2013, for example, to invest $30 million and hire 500 workers for a new, high-tech factory in Pennsylvania that was never built.”
This isn’t the only case of Chinese corporations promising big investments in the US and not coming through. Automaker Faraday Future backed out of a $1 billion deal to build a 3 million sq. ft. facility at Apex Industrial Park in North Las Vegas, putting the project on hold after breaking ground in April 2016.
If Foxconn has already bailed on a $30-million project, can we trust the company to commit to one costing $10 billion? For Wisconsin’s sake, I hope so.
Foxconn and Rockwell Automation team up
One ray of hope that Foxconn will stick to its promise comes from a joint announcement that company made with Rockwell Automation regarding a new collaboration to implement Connected Enterprise and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions in Foxconn’s new U.S. facilities.
The two companies will team up to develop and apply smart manufacturing solutions at Foxconn’s global electronics assembly operations and within the related industry ecosystem.
“Our work with Foxconn will further demonstrate the power and broad applicability of The Connected Enterprise,” said Blake Moret, Rockwell Automation president and CEO. “We are also pleased that Foxconn shares our commitment to expanding and upskilling the US workforce to ensure there is the necessary talent for advanced manufacturing roles.”
The two companies will also focus on workforce development and training for IIoT solutions as Foxconn (hopefully) increases its U.S. presence.
For more information, visit the Foxconn and Rockwell Automation websites.
