Sun sets out £7m investment in Lothian

Published on Friday 1 December 2006 12:48

SUN Microsystems has ploughed more than £7 million into improving its plant in West Lothian.

The computing giant said that the 7.2m investment in its Linlithgow plant, which has 650 staff, had created "the largest Sun Solutions Centre" in the world. The cash injection brings the firm's total investment there to 152m.

Sun said the investment underlines its commitment to Scotland, after suggestions that it might look to a lower-cost site in Europe.

When the company, which created the Java internet language, announced positive sales results earlier this year that showed a rise in sales, it said that the Linlithgow plant had been "instrumental" in driving business.

Sun expects the investment to increase the importance of the plant to its business.

Customers will be able to come to the centre and help create and test bespoke computer systems for their individual business. Sun said that it already has a "growing list" of customers from throughout Europe wishing to use the centre.

Sun has recently endured hard times, suffering a plummeting share price and shifting to a lower-cost strategy. But rising sales have emboldened the company.

Peter Ryan, senior vice-president of sales and services for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Sun, said: "The investment in the Sun Solutions Centre underlines our commitment to our Scotland Campus."