In addition to providing capacity for Intel’s products, these new factories will support growing demand for the company’s new foundry business, Intel Foundry Services (IFS)
US-based chipmaker Intel has announced plans for an initial investment of more than $20 billion in the construction of two new chip factories in US’ Ohio.
Spanning nearly 1,000 acres in Licking County, just outside of Columbus, the “mega-site” can accommodate a total of eight chip factories – also known as “fabs” – as well as support operations and ecosystem partners. At full buildout, the total investment in the site could grow to as much as $100 billion over the next decade, making it one of the largest semiconductor manufacturing sites in the world.
In addition to providing capacity for Intel’s products, these new factories will support growing demand for the company’s new foundry business, Intel Foundry Services (IFS).
Planning for the first two factories will start immediately, with construction expected to begin late in 2022. Production is expected to come online in 2025.
The chipmaker said that the investment will help boost production to meet the surging demand for advanced semiconductors, powering a new generation of innovative products from Intel and serving the needs of foundry customers as part of the company’s IDM 2.0 strategy.
Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, said, “Intel’s actions will help build a more resilient supply chain and ensure reliable access to advanced semiconductors for years to come. Intel is bringing leading capability and capacity back to the United States to strengthen the global semiconductor industry. These factories will create a new epicenter for advanced chipmaking in the U.S. that will bolster Intel’s domestic lab-to-fab pipeline and strengthen Ohio’s leadership in research and high tech.”
The initial phase of the project is expected to create 3,000 Intel jobs and 7,000 construction jobs over the course of the build, and to support tens of thousands of additional local long-term jobs across a broad ecosystem of suppliers and partners.