Air Liquide, a France-based industrial gases company, has announced plans to invest $200m (€182.17m) to build modular production sites in Taiwan and South Korea. The plants will focus on the development and manufacturing of technology nodes that enable applications in AI, automotive, cloud computing and other semiconductor technologies.
The two facilities will be built in close proximity to strategic customers “in order to accelerate innovation through close collaboration, speed to solution, and ability to ramp to full production in a safe, reliable and high-quality manner”, according to a statement from the company. The facilities are expected to start production in 2024 in Taiwan and in 2025 in South Korea.
Upon announcing the investment in the sites, Michael J Graff, executive vice-president at Air Liquide Group, said: “We are pleased to further develop our collaboration with key semiconductor leaders, with whom we have been partners for more than 20 years. This investment also testifies to the confidence our electronics customers have in the long-term market trend, and in Air Liquide’s capacity to provide innovative and tailor-made solutions in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.”
Air Liquide was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Paris. It has more than 66,000 employees worldwide and operations in more than 75 countries.