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The semiconductor giant's newest manufacturing facility has been on hold for over a year, but on Thursday, the company said that it would once again begin building what will become one of the world's most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities.
The site will produce 300 mm wafers using Intel's 90-nanometer logic technology and actual manufacturing of chips there is expected to commence in the first half of 2004. "The restart of construction on the site is a strong endorsement by the corporation of Intel Ireland's key role in its future technology and manufacturing plans," said Jim O'Hara, Ireland site general manager.
A spokesperson for Intel said, "the time was right," but insisted that the resumption of work on the site was not a forecast of any expectation for improvement in the semiconductor industry as a whole.
The projected cost of Fab 24 is USD2 billion of which USD250 million has already been spent. By the end of 2002, Intel's investment in the Leixlip site will be USD3.5 billion and by 2005 this investment will increase to over USD5 billion.
When fully operational, Fab 24 is expected to employ approximately 1,000 people and currently over 120 Irish employees who will eventually work at Fab24 are working at Intel's technology development centre in Portland, Oregon. To date there are already 300 people assigned to the Fab 24 project.
Moreover, at its peak, the Fab 24 site will provide work for an estimated 1,500 construction-related employees.
There are currently 3,150 Intel employees in Leixlip with a further 1,000 in permanent employment with long-term subcontractors to Intel. There are also a further 82 people employed at Intel Communications Europe located in Shannon, Co. Clare which is the Ireland product development arm of Intel's Communications Product Group. Globally Intel employs around 83,000, down from 90,000 a year ago
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