FORM 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of April 2001
STMicroelectronics N.V.
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(Translation of registrant's name into English)
Route de Pre-Bois, ICC Bloc A, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland
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(Address of principal executive offices)
[Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file
annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F]
Form 20-F X Form 40-F
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[Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to
the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934]
Yes No X
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[If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the
Registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-______]
Enclosure:
A press release dated April 3, 2001 announcing that STMicroelectronics
has opened a new state-of-the-art back end plant in Morocco.
[STMICROELECTRONICS LOGO]
STMicroelectronics Opens New State-of-the-Art Back End Plant in Morocco
BOUSKOURA, Morocco--April 3, 2001--STMicroelectronics' (NYSE:STM) new
assembly and test plant at Bouskoura, near Casablanca, was today formally
inaugurated by His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, in a ceremony attended
by the Ambassadors of France and Italy, Mr. Michel de Bonnecorse and Mr. Guido
Martini, by Members of the Moroccan Government and by the Company, and by Mr.
Pasquale Pistorio, President and CEO of STMicroelectronics.
Using state-of-the-art fully automated production techniques, the new plant
is designed to produce as many as 25 million integrated circuits per day and is
expected to employ 2,500 people when full capacity is reached. In its current
ramp-up phase, the plant employs 733 people and has an installed capacity of 2.3
million devices per day.
Located close to ST's original plant in Bouskoura, the new facility has been
established within the framework of the project "Bouskoura 2000". Representing a
planned investment by ST, the world's sixth largest semiconductor manufacturer,
of $300 million, of which $107 million has been planned for buildings and
facilities only, the new plant includes 32,000 sq.m of clean room area and 4,000
sq.m of warehouse facilities. It will produce a wide range of semiconductor
products, which will be exported to customers worldwide.
"With our long and successful history of working with the Moroccan people,
we are delighted with the Bouskoura 2000 project and are fully confident that
our new plant will be a formidable addition to our global network of world-class
manufacturing facilities," said Mr. Pasquale Pistorio. "The energy, education
and commitment of our people in Morocco has contributed significantly to our
worldwide success to date and will undoubtedly continue to do so."
"In an industry characterized by rapid change and intense competition,"
continued Mr. Pistorio, "manufacturing excellence is of crucial importance and
our plants in Morocco continually demonstrate the Company's commitment to the
Total Quality and Environmental Management philosophy that is one of the
hallmarks of ST. Our Moroccan sites have long distinguished themselves by their
dedication to the quality-driven partnerships we have with our customers. With
the building of its latest facility in Bouskoura, the partnership between
STMicroelectronics and the Moroccan people continues to go from strength to
strength."
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The new ST facility in Bouskoura will, when fully equipped, be the most
advanced in the world in terms of automation and technology. It will be used to
assemble and test a wide range of semiconductor products that are key components
in industry sectors such as automotive, telecommunications, home appliances,
computers and power conversion. The fully automated assembly and test lines each
perform a sequence of 11 different manufacturing operations, from die bonding to
wire bonding, in which tiny wires are attached to the silicon chip to connect
its circuitry to the outside world, through to automated testing and packing.
These are all performed in a "hands free" environment that dramatically
increases quality levels compared with traditional assembly, while drastically
cutting the cycle time from four or five days to as little as one hour.
ST's original plant in Bouskoura was built in 1979 but the Company's
presence in Morocco can be traced back as far as 1952 when a small plant was
established in Ain Sebaa. Both plants were subsequently upgraded and expanded.
Bouskoura became the center of excellence for electronic subsystems, providing
complete solutions for OEM customer applications, particularly in the
telecommunications and industrial markets. The Ain Sebaa plant was also
substantially expanded in 1997 and now covers an area of 26,000 sq.m., with the
capacity to assemble and test three billion components per year. ST currently
employs 4,827 people in its Morocco plants.
Again in 1997, the Bouskoura and Ain Sebaa plants became the first sites in
Morocco and on the entire African continent to be recognized by an
internationally accredited organization to meet the requirements of both the
European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS regulation) as well as the
internationally recognized ISO 14001 environmental standard. The new Bouskoura
plant, like all of ST's sites worldwide, is designed to comply with the most
stringent global environmental regulations.
About STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics (formerly SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics) is a global
independent semiconductor company, whose shares are traded on the New York Stock
Exchange, on the ParisBourse and on the Milan Stock Exchange. The Company
designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor
integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of
microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer
systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and
control systems. In 2000, the Company's net revenues were $7,813.2 million and
net earnings were $1,452.1 million. According to Dataquest's annual ranking for
2000, STMicroelectronics is the sixth largest semiconductor company in the
world. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
CONTACT: STMicroelectronics
Press Relations Europe:
Maria Grazia Prestini
Phone: +33 4 5040 2532
Fax: + 33 4 5040 2540
e-mail: mariagrazia.prestini@st.com
or
Press Relations US:
Michael Markowitz
Tel: + 212 821 8959
Fax: + 212 821 8922
e-mail: michael.markowitz@st.com
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
STMicroelectronics N.V. has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: April 4, 2001 STMicroelectronics N.V.
By: /s/ Pasquale Pistorio
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Name: Pasquale Pistorio
Title: President and Chief
Executive Officer