GlobalFoundries (GF) has outlined a €1.1bn ($1.27bn) investment to expand semiconductor manufacturing at its Dresden facility in Saxony, Germany.
With this investment, the company aims to achieve an annual output exceeding one million wafers by the end of 2028.
This expansion, named project SPRINT, is contingent on expected support from both the German federal government and the State of Saxony, under provisions of the European Chips Act.
Approval from the European Union (EU) for the complete funding programme is anticipated later this year.
Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer said: “The further expansion of semiconductor manufacturing here at GlobalFoundries is a clear commitment to a unique location.
“The billion-euro investment is more good news for Silicon Saxony, Europe’s most important microelectronics location, and demonstrates the attractiveness and dynamism of the cluster that has grown here.”
The company will upgrade the Dresden site with end-to-end European-controlled processes and data flows to meet specific security requirements for semiconductors.
The increased capacity will focus on GlobalFoundries’ core technology platforms, including low-power operation, embedded secure memory, and wireless connectivity.
These technologies are used in automotive systems, IoT applications, defence hardware, and critical infrastructure.
According to the company, project SPRINT is part of an effort to improve the resilience of Europe’s semiconductor supply chain, with Saxony remaining a central region for these manufacturing activities.
The expansion also supports future development in compute architectures and quantum technologies as adoption increases.
GlobalFoundries CEO Tim Breen said: “Recent disruptions in the automotive sector underscore just how vulnerable global chip supply chains truly are.
“Our planned expansion in Dresden is yet another step in GF’s strategy to address these challenges head-on and deliver on our commitment to support Europe’s need for secure supply chains and differentiated technologies.”
GlobalFoundries collaborates with customers to develop power-efficient products for automotive, smart mobile devices, IoT, communications infrastructure, and other growing markets.
The company operates fabrication sites in North America, Europe, and Asia.
In July 2025, GlobalFoundries signed an agreement to acquire MIPS, aiming to enhance its AI and processor intellectual property (IP) portfolio.
Based in San Jose, California, MIPS develops compute subsystem technologies for autonomous platforms in automotive, industrial, and embedded markets.
