Germany-based Infineon, a world leader in semiconductor solutions, has officially opened its new high-tech chip factory for power electronics on 300mm-thin wafers in Villach, Austria. The €1.6bn ($1.87bn) production facility represents one of the largest such projects in the microelectronics sector in Europe.
The chips produced will primarily be used to meet demand from the automotive industry, data centres and renewable energy generation using solar and wind power. The opening will help meet growing global demand for power semiconductors and create 400 new jobs.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said: “The immense investment of €1.6bn shows that Austria, as a business and technology location, offers excellent framework conditions and the employee know-how that is needed to make them happen. We in the federal government want to continue to invest massively in digitisation in order to position ourselves in the best possible way in global competition.”
The new facility has about 60,000m2 of gross floor space. It is one of the most modern chip factories in the world and relies on full automation and digitisation.