MDT Medtronic PLC

   By Yoko Kubota 
 

Foxconn Technology Group--best known for assembling Apple Inc.'s iPhones in China--is working with medical-device maker Medtronic PLC to develop and produce ventilators, the Taiwanese contract-assembly giant said Wednesday.

The move comes as the U.S. and other countries scramble to secure enough ventilators, which help patients severely ill with the coronavirus who have trouble breathing on their own. Besides traditional ventilator makers including Medtronic, new players such as General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. have joined the production crew to produce the device.

Foxconn's announcement comes after Medtronic Chief Executive Omar Ishrak said on CNBC earlier this week that the two companies plan to produce the ventilators together at Foxconn's Wisconsin plant over the next four to six weeks. "Currently, medical and technical personnel of both companies are working together closely. We hope to speed up the mass-production schedule," Foxconn said.

In China, where the number of Covid-19 patients surged earlier, Foxconn has been producing millions of masks since February to help address medical-supply shortages. Meanwhile, Medtronic recently shared the design specifications for a ventilator product to allow other companies to produce it.

Write to Yoko Kubota at yoko.kubota@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 08, 2020 04:53 ET (08:53 GMT)

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