A MEETING will take place tomorrow (Wednesday, March 27) aimed at safeguarding the future of 200 North-East workers and a threatened iconic microchip factory.

RF Micro Devices (RFMD) last week announced plans to leave the region and move production of mobile phone semi-conductors from its former Fujitsu plant on Heighington Lane business park, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, to the US.

Bosses say transferring work to North Carolina will save £13m a year, and it will phase down production at Newton Aycliffe, where it makes cellular switches, despite recently securing a deal with a major manufacturer to supply 4G components for a flagship smartphone development.

Phil Wilson, MP for Newton Aycliffe, and Stewart Watkins, from regional economic investment body, Business Durham, will meet RFMD bosses tomorrow to try and find a buyer for the factory.

Mr Wilson said: “It is an iconic building up on the hill and it would be a real shame to see it go.

“We need to do whatever we can to save it, and the company say they are actively seeking a buyer.

“They are taking it seriously and that is good news.”

The plant was once the world's most advanced microchip factory and employed hundreds of workers before Fujitsu pulled out in 1998, axing about 600 jobs.

It was taken on by mobile phone transmitter and chip maker Filtronic in 2000, who developed specialist components to link mobile phones to networks, before RFMD bought it for £12.5m in 2008.