Japan’s Hitachi Automotive Systems announced plans to refurbish its redundant LCD screen plant in Zatec, some 75 km from Czech Republic capital Prague, to produce automotive shock absorbers from next year.

The plant originally began making LCD screens in 2007 but was closed down two years later with the loss of over 800 jobs. 

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The company declined say who will be the automotive clients for the new shock-absorber facility, but a large number of major vehicle plants are located within a 200km (120 mile) radius of Zatec, including Skoda, Kia, Hyundai, Toyota-Peugeot Citroen, Tatra and Iveco.

The new plant is expected to create 300 new jobs when it becomes operational.

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