Intel shortlists site in Galway for major plant

It's the Oranmore rifle range surely? Looks like an army installation anyway with rifle ranges in the left corner.

They already have a large fab here, are building a test building for a new fab, were planning on building the new fabs in leixlip only for that farmer who wouldnt sell.

It would make sense for them to locate the new stuff in Ireland aswell - there would be considerable crossover between existing fabs and new ones in terms of expertise. And it wasnt irish media who broke this story, but the Times UK

They had no definite plans to build on the guys land, but they absolutely had notions of expanding and building a new "superfab" in Ireland. Ideally as an extension of their current campus. They built a trial building for it ffs, a huge thing just to learn costing and other things at a smaller scale.

The IDA absolutely bottled that before, but its not like a eurovision entry - and if it were, we would have many more points at this stage than the Germans.

Previously there were fears that Intel would spin off the fabrication company as a separate entity and keep all the other divisions (processors etc) - some other companies have done so in the past. However Gelsinger (new CEO) seems to be of the mind that fabrication is an important core business to Intel, and in the global market with huge chip shortages and a serious lack of new fab capacity worldwide, it makes absolute sense for them to invest in more facilities.

Obviously all we or anyone can do is speculate right now, but they are more likely to invest in Ireland than elsewhere in Europe.

I wasnt aware they went ahead - even more proof of their commitment here now.

And if they're already building a fab, then there will be the knowledge and expertise here to build further if they go ahead with another fabrication campus in the near future. Thats a few more points for the Irish eurovision entry right there

Motorway door to door as well. There's lots of advantages to the site

Lithography machines are ASML, however being 4 hours or 8 hours from ASML isnt much of a difference either way. Machines are ordered, shipped, installed and regularly maintained by ASML engineers who travel for days/weeks at a time.

Far more important would be the price of land - which is much more expensive in or around the Netherlands. Gelsinger has actually admitted that Ireland is on a shortlist with other locations for the proposed new campus - it doesnt mean its guaranteed to happen but I'm sure theres more than a chance. the IDA hardly line up sites when they know theres no chance.

https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/news/potential-for-new-intel-chip-facility-with-10000-jobs-would-be-huge-boost-to-galway-councillor-says-40844740.html

Wherever the new site is, it will be within ~2h drive of an existing semiconductor plant to get access to the supply chains of parts, cleanroom servicing firms, etc. This site does fall in to that requirement.

When Intel set up here it was able to latch on to those supply chains for NEC in Ballivor, which is now gone.

Intel are now hiring school leavers for technician roles, on the job training, rather than relying on graduates like they were.

There are GlobalFoundries and other semiconductor fabs in Germany.

Its an advantage over countries that don't have existing plants, which is the majority of the EU.

The IDAs other giant site they offer people is in Cork and likely too far to be of interest.

Because its an existing fab that Intel own and run?