This policy has proven to be as successful in manufacturing as it has in sales and marketing with the construction of advanced facilities enabling Sony to get closer to individual markets and customers. In Europe, a continent of diverse cultures, this is an important factor behind the success of Sony as a brand. Localised production has allowed Sony to listen to the needs of its customers and react faster to individual market requirements.

Sony first established a manufacturing facility in Europe in 1974 with a production plant in Bridgend, Wales. Since then, an increasing number of facilities have been set up including the UK Technology Centre at Pencoed in Wales and the Barcelona Technology Centre in Spain. In 1996, Sony opened its first Eastern European manufacturing facility in Trnava, Slovak Republic and will strengthen its operations in this area in 2007 with a new LCD TV manufacturing plant in Nitra.