Intel is moving forward with expanding Europe's advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities through an 80 billion euro investment over 10 years to foster the development of the semiconductor ecosystem within Europe.

Intel announced on the 15th its plan to execute a maximum investment of up to 80 billion euros (approximately 109 trillion won in Korean currency) over the next 10 years across the entire semiconductor value chain spanning research and development, manufacturing, and cutting-edge packaging technology within the European Union, along with details of its first-phase investment plan.

Through this investment plan, Intel will invest 17 billion euros in Germany's cutting-edge large-scale semiconductor fab and will establish a new research and development and design hub in France.

Additionally, Intel will undertake investments in research and development, manufacturing, foundry services, and backend production in Ireland, Italy, Poland, and Spain.

Through this investment, Intel will introduce its cutting-edge technology to Europe, establish a next-generation European semiconductor ecosystem, and meet the demand for a more balanced and resilient semiconductor supply chain.

Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO, stated, "This investment plan is an important step for both Intel and Europe, and the EU Chips Act will enable private enterprises and governments to collaborate in dramatically improving Europe's position in the semiconductor field. Through this investment, Intel will promote research and development in Europe, introduce advanced manufacturing capabilities to the region for the benefit of global customers and partners, and commits to playing an essential role in shaping Europe's digital future for decades to come."

■ Full-scale Investment Across Germany, Italy, Ireland, Poland and Other European Regions Underway

As its first phase of investment, Intel plans to construct two semiconductor fabs in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt state in Germany. Construction is planned to begin in the first half of 2023, with the factory expected to commence operations in 2027. This plan is currently awaiting approval from the European Commission.

Additionally, Intel will execute an additional investment of 12 billion euros to double the manufacturing space in Leixlip, located in the northeast of Ireland, and will introduce the Intel 4 process. Upon completion of this investment, Intel's total investment in Ireland will exceed 30 billion euros.

In Italy, Intel plans to establish cutting-edge backend manufacturing facilities. Based on the planned acquisition of Tower Semiconductor, Intel will pursue foundry innovation and growth opportunities. Tower Semiconductor maintains a strong partnership with STMicroelectronics, which operates a fab in the Agrate Brianza region of Italy.

In addition, Intel will establish a new European research and development hub in the Plateau de Saclay region in France, creating 1,000 advanced technology jobs at Intel, with 450 positions to be created by the end of 2024.

In Poland, Intel is expanding its research facility in the Gdansk region, which focuses on developing solutions in deep neural networks, audio, graphics, data centers, and cloud computing, by 50 percent. The expansion is scheduled to be completed in 2023.

Beyond this, Intel's partnerships with research institutions across Europe will be strengthened, including IMEC, the world's largest nonprofit semiconductor research institute located in Belgium, Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, CEA-Leti (Electronics and Information Technology Research Institute) under France's Atomic Energy Commission, and the Fraunhofer Society in Germany.

Furthermore, Intel is establishing partnerships with Leonardo, the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), and the nonprofit consortium CINECA, collaborating on the development of new solutions in high-performance computing, memory, software programming models, security, and cloud fields.