I.E. Dupont Company and N.V. Philips of the Netherlands have entered into a joint venture to manufacture and supply compact discs, CD-ROM, optical digital disks, and videodisc. Initial assets of the enterprise will include the world's largest compact disc manufacturing facility in Hanover, West Germany, an optical digital disk and videodisc facility in England, and optical disc development facilities in Wilmington, Delaware and Einhaven, The Netherlands. A major U.S. production facility is planned.
The objective is to produce 200 million discs a year by 1990, half for data storage. Initial capitalization is nearly $500 million and reflects the partners' confidence in the future of optical media, said Vice President Gerrit Jeelof of Philips..
