Intel said it will spend at least $20 billion to build two computer chip factories in Ohio that it expects will become “the largest silicon manufacturing location on the planet.” Plans for the two plants, which are expected to employ 3,000 people and occupy a 1,000-acre site, come as US tech firms scramble to slash their reliance on overseas manufacturing amid a severe shortage in semiconductors. The twin facilities — slated to be built in New Albany, a town of 11,000 residents just outside of the state capital of Columbus — are also expected to create some 7,000 construction jobs that will benefit local businesses in Franklin and Licking County, according to Intel. “Today’s investment marks another significant way Intel is leading the effort to restore US semiconductor manufacturing leadership,” said Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. Intel is also pledging to invest some $100 million over the next 10 years to partner with Ohio colleges and universities to develop curricula that will focus on semiconductors. The $20 billion commitment is the largest private sector investment in Ohio’s history. The Midwestern United States, once a hub of manufacturing, has been in decline over the past half century as companies relocated to the Sun Belt or shifted their operations abroad. Foreign governments have provided American companies with incentives to build factories in places such as Taiwan, South Korea, or Singapore — so much so that the share of chips made in the US fell from 37% in 1990 to just 12% today. “Intel’s actions will help build a more resilient supply chain and ensure reliable access to advanced semiconductors for years to come. Intel is bringing leading capability and capacity back to the United States to strengthen the global semiconductor industry,” Gelsinger said in a statement. “These factories will create a new epicenter for advanced chipmaking in the U.S. that will bolster Intel’s domestic lab-to-fab pipeline and strengthen Ohio’s leadership in research and high tech.” Gelsinger is expected to appear alongside President Joe Biden at the White House to tout the company’s investment in Ohio. Intel is also hoping that Biden eventually signs into law the CHIPS for America Act, which passed in the Senate last year. The bill, which must be voted on in the House, would see the federal government invest some $52 billion in domestic chip manufacturing. “Today’s announcement is monumental news for the state of Ohio,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “Advanced manufacturing, research and development, and talent are part of Ohio’s DNA, and we are proud that chips — which power the future — will be made in Ohio, by Ohioans.”
