Austrian investments in the Philippines may reach over 100 million euros in 2015, Austrian Ambassador Josef Mullner said over the weekend.
“An electronics firm engaged in the production of high-end microchips for automotive electronics parts, medical equipment and communications systems is doubling capacity in 2015. This will involve an additional investment of €15 million,” he said.
The company, ams Asia Inc., has a chip testing facility in Calamba City employing 365 workers. It started operations in 2005.
Austria Embassy commercial counselor Lisa Koscak said the local company was one of two testing facilities of ams, with the other one operating Graz, Austria.
“The current expansion translates intto additional 8,500 sq. m. of office and production floor space and is expected to be completed by end of May 2015,” she said.
Another major Austrian investment in the Philippines is the 36-million euro project of Alpla Philippines in 2014. Alpla is one of the world’s leading companies in the the packaging solutions sector.
It teamed up with FEMSA to operate two bottling plants of Coca Cola in Laguna with about 200 employees.
Tann Philippines, a unit of Austria’s Tannpapier that specializes in printing and refinement of fine paper, is the world’s biggest producer of cigarette tipping paper.
It established a production facility for the printing of tipping paper, soft label and soft pack for cigarettes in Batangas in 2002. It recently expanded operations, investing €23 million in a new machinery line. The company employs 120 people.
Austrian investments in the Philippines in 2012 stood at about €30 million.
Several other Austrian companies have subsidiaries in the Philippines. They are active in different industries from infrastructure, hydropower and medical equipment to telecommunications.
“Lately we have seen interest in the Philippines rising. There are a few additional companies who are looking at the Philippines as a possible manufacturing base but they are still in exploration phase,” said Koscak.
Imports from Austria in the first 10 months of 2014 grew 24 percent year-on-year, while total trade volume with the Philippines increased 10 percent.
The Philippines is becoming one of the countries in Asia that Austrian companies are focusing on because of good economic fundamentals and opportunities in several sectors.
Austria is known for its high-technology and quality manufacturing processes, mainly high class machineries for various industries from construction and infrastructure to food and packaging.