From CNET: Intel on Tuesday revealed plans for a second new "megafab," a chipmaking site in Magdeburg, Germany, that's the centerpiece of an expected $88 billion in investments across several European countries. The capacity expansion comes on top of other gargantuan spending commitments in the United States, including a planned megafab in Ohio, intended to bring Intel back to the forefront of chip manufacturing.
"The world has an insatiable demand for semiconductors," Intel Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger said in a video announcing the investments. Today, 80% of chipmaking takes place in Asia, but the company's spending in the US and Europe will mean a "more balanced and resilient" supply chain that isn't so dependent on Asia.
Intel will start with new chip fabrication facilities, called fabs, at the Magdeburg site costing about $19 billion, with construction set to begin in 2023 and manufacturing in 2027, Gelsinger said. That'll let Intel build its own chips with leading edge technology, both for Intel itself and through a major expansion of its business called Intel Foundry Services, build chips for other customers as well.
Although the announcement centered on Europe, its success would help Intel in the United States. To stay on the leading edge of chip manufacturing, it's essential to pay off extraordinarily expensive chipmaking equipment and facilities, so ramping up production is essential to reversing Intel's slide out of chipmaking leadership.
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