While Intel is still deciding what moves to take to get out of the financial crisis it finds itself in, they are coming two pieces of news that could make you breathe a sigh of relief in these difficult times.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski announced that The European Commission has approved a $1.9 billion state aid package (PLN 7.4 billion) to Intel. “This investment is worth, both in terms of the aid package and in total, more than PLN 25 billion ($6.47 billion),” Gawkowski said.
In June 2023, Intel announced that it had selected an area near Wrocławin Poland, as the site for a new state-of-the-art plant assembly & test of semiconductors. The company said the investment would be equal to at least $4.6 billion and would have created approximately 2,000 direct Intel jobs, in addition to indirect ones.
Intel’s production sites around the world, including active plants and announced projects – Click to enlarge
The Polish plant appears to be key to the planned wafer fabrication plant in Magdeburg, Germany. However, there are rumors that the company may backtrack from that investment. In short, Intel’s future is a puzzle.
The EU’s green light to Poland, however, does not mean the game is over. The Polish government still has to approve the legislation and agree on some points with the European Commission before it can close the deal, which Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Dariusz Standerski expects to happen by the end of the year. State aid will then be disbursed between now and 2026.
Intel’s manufacturing strategy in Europe remains unclear, as the company is sooner or later called upon to make weighty decisions about its future. In this regard, Prime Minister Gawkowski does not seem concerned at the moment on the fate of investment in Poland.
“We have not received any signals in the last few weeks or months regarding a change in position… Based on today’s information, there is nothing to indicate a slowdown in this investment,” he said. “Investment in the Intel plant in Poland will ensure both better economic development and greater security.”
The Register reached out to Intel for comment on the plans for the Polish plant: “We appreciate the Polish government’s continued support and partnership as we work to realize our shared ambition of a more resilient global semiconductor supply chain,” a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, from the other side of the ocean comes the tip-off, reported by Bloombergaccording to which Intel has officially exceeded the requirements to “receive up to $3.5 billion in federal grants to produce semiconductors for the U.S. Department of Defense,” after reaching a binding agreement with government officials.
“The secret program, called Secure Enclaveaims to establish manufacturing of advanced chips with military and intelligence applications. It spans multiple states, including a manufacturing plant in Arizona,” Bloomberg writes, claiming the announcement will come next week. “The Secure Enclave deal signals that US government trusts Intel to execute Pentagon plans despite its problems“, writes the newspaper.
Source: www.hwupgrade.it
