The factory, located in Pyongtaek, Kyonggi-do, on area covering 5,000 pyong (one pyong equals 3.3 square meters) will have a production capacity of 100 million temperature and solar sensors per year.

The British firm invested $10 million for the plant and is projected to increase the investment up to $100 million over the next five years.

Spirent plc established Thermometrics Korea with $7.6 million in equity by taking over the sensor unit of Daewoo Electronic Components Co., in September, 1999 after the Daewoo Group started restructuring.

Joo Young-sup from Daewoo Electronics was appointed as representative director and will be in charge of businesses in the Asia-Pacific region.

``The Pyongtaek plant will manufacture many different kinds of cutting-edge thermistor sensors with the aim of registering $100 million in total output with 500 employees in five years to come,'' said company chairman Nicholas Brookes.

``The completion of the Pyongtaek plant has been in line with the economic cooperative program between Korean and Britain,'' said Brookes whose visit is timed with the ongoing Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

British Prime Minister Tony, visiting there for the ASEM, also commented the British firm will continue to make further investment in Korea.

The completed sensors will be supplied to domestic home appliance makers such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Daewoo Electronics and auto components makers like Halla Climate Control Corp., Daewoo Climate Control Corp., and Korea Delphi Automotive Component Co.

``We will develop the Pyongtaek factory as a core production and research and development base in Asia by connecting Korea's excellent sensor design and manufacturing technologies with low cost manufacturing capabilities of our factories in China and India,'' said Brookes.

He disclosed that the firm plans to establish a separate joint venture tie with one of Korean conglomerates for the production of silicon-based sensors and to complete its factory in a couple of years.

The multinational Spirent plc develops hardware and software products for code division multiple access (CDMA), personal communication service (PCS) and Internet systems. It operates about 40 manufacturing and R&D subsidiaries worldwide.

Spirent is expected to post around $1.5 billion in sales this year.