Motorola, Siemens to Build Chip Plant

Motorola Inc. and Siemens are forming a joint venture to manufacture computer chips in Dresden, Germany, the German government said. The $1.6-billion semiconductor plant will be Europe’s largest. The move comes after the companies began construction last year on a U.S. plant that will make 64-bit memory chips for personal computers. The German government will contribute $105 million through 2001 to the Dresden effort, with the companies investing significantly more, said Juergen Ruettgers, minister for training, science, research and technology. Neither company commented on their plans.