Intel intends to build another fab in Europe

Intel is planning to build a second fab in Europe. “We plan to announce the next phase of expansions in the US, Europe and other global locations within the year,” Eamonn Sinnott, general manager of Intel Ireland, wrote on a company blog. Asked by the BBC whether the new factory would be built in Ireland or Israel, the two countries in regions in which Intel already operates a fab, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said that he “fully expects that we’ll open up a site in another country in Europe.”

The if, where and when will very likely depend on the response of the European Union, however. The bloc recently presented the Digital Agenda, which, among other things, calls for a European ‘market share’ of 20 percent in cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing. Intel openly applied for the job to make that happen.

“We have a shared ambition with the EU to deliver state-of-the-art semiconductor technology to Europe and create a more geographically balanced manufacturing capacity. Intel is uniquely positioned to support the EU’s vision for a digital transformation by 2030, thanks to our technology leadership, continuous investment in our manufacturing and development of future foundry capabilities in Europe,” Sinnott wrote. He didn’t specify if this shared ambition comes with a price tag.