KOREAN electronics giant Hyundai has named Laing Management Scotland as carekeeper contractor for its #1000m factory near Dunfermline after negotiations over cost and payment with main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine broke down earlier this month.

Laing Management, a division of construction firm Robert Laing, is now operating as main contractor on the Halbeath site.

McAlpine, which is making a ''phased withdrawal'', will have a presence there for up to two months as existing direct works are completed.

Laing will oversee operations on the 150-acre site next to the M90 motorway until a permanent building contractor is found.

Hyundai was unwilling to set out a timetable or name any contenders for the post.

McAlpine, Tarmac and Amec were the three companies shortlisted for the job last year.

It is not known whether the two runners-up are being considered to take over, or whether the appointment of Laing as interim contractor is a precursor to it taking charge permanently.

In a joint statement issued earlier this month, Hyundai and McAlpine announced the latter would withdraw from all operations on the silicon wafer factory site after leading construction there for more than three months.

McAlpine will be paid for the work it has carried out. It is not known if a figure has been agreed.

Negotiations for the construction of the plant failed to produce an agreement on the total cost of the project, with Hyundai and McAlpine reportedly ''poles apart'' over their estimates.

However, everyone involved was careful to emphasise that the handover had been smooth and relatively amicable.

Sub-contractors working for McAlpine have been retained by Hyundai and will work under the permanent main contractor after its appointment. There are 20 to 30 sub-contractors on site every day.

nThe semiconductor equipment industry is expected to unveil guidelines that will set world-wide standards for handling a new type of raw material for making computer chips.

The guidelines will help the industry switch to the manufacture of 300-millimetre silicon wafers, the round slabs of semiconductor material from which most computer chips are made.