NEC Electronics Corporation and Taiwan-based ASE, Inc., the provider of semiconductor backend manufacturing services, today jointly announced a strategic partnership, including ASE's acquisition of NEC Electronics' IC packaging and testing operation in Takahata, Yamagata, combined with a four-year service agreement for ASE to provide IC backend manufacturing services to NEC Electronics.

The two companies also agreed to commence discussions of future possible strategic cooperation in a number of areas, including but not limited to production technologies and intellectual property. The transaction is scheduled to complete on May 31, 2004.

The Takahata operation, approximately 360 kilometer north of Tokyo, will be re-named ASE Japan, Co. Ltd. (ASE Japan). Jason Chang will be the Chairman of ASE Japan, and Nobukatsu Manabe, former Associate Senior Vice President of NEC Yamaguchi, Ltd., will be the President of ASE Japan. Revenue of the new company is expected to be over US$165 million annually in the first year.