Intel to Invest Billions in New Chip Plant

On Friday, Intel announced it would invest up to $4.60 billion in a new semiconductor facility in Poland.

The effort was part of a multi-billion-dollar European investment to increase chip capacity. Last year, the US chipmaker planned to establish a big chip complex in Germany, Ireland, and France. 

Intel seeks to benefit from the European Commission’s less restrictive funding rules and subsidies. Also, the EU looks forward to cutting its dependence on US and Asian supply.

In addition, the facility in Poland would hire 2,000 workers and have several thousand more jobs in the construction stage. According to Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger, Poland seemed hungrier to gain this site.

Moreover, many countries have been attempting to get Intel to invest in their areas. Other countries, like Germany, already secured a commitment from the company and have discussed the number of subsidies to distribute.

On Thursday, a newspaper reported that the German government and the chipmaker almost agreed on $10.38 million in subsidies. It is higher than the $6.80 billion that was previously agreed on.

Furthermore, design and planning for the new facility in Poland will start immediately. The construction would commence pending European Commission approval. Besides, Poland’s prime minister referred to the Intel factory as their country’s most significant greenfield investment.

Tunnel Falls Chip by Intel to be Released

Intel reported the release of its latest quantum research chip called Tunnel Falls. It is a 12-qubit silicon chip that would be available to the quantum research community.

Also, the company would collaborate with the Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the University of Maryland and other establishments. The partnerships would lead to advanced quantum computing research.

According to Jim Clarke, a director at Intel, Tunnel Falls is the most advanced chip to date. It results from the firm’s hard work in transistor design and manufacturing.

He added that the chip’s launch is a step closer to their long-term strategy. They want to achieve a full-stack commercial quantum computing system.