The potential €103 million in public funding supports the European Commission’s objective to endorse research, innovation, and the industrial deployment of microelectronics and communication technologies across the EU value chain under the IPCEI-ME/CT (Important Project of Common European Interest in Microelectronics and Communications Technologies) Program.
NOVARA, Italy and HSINCHU, Taiwan June 18, 2024 – GlobalWafers Co., Ltd. (TWSE: 6488) today confirmed that the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), following project authorization by the EU Commission (Directorate General for Competition), issued an Assignment Decree awarding Novara, Italy based MEMC Electronic Materials S.p.A. a Research and Development (R&D) grant of up to €103 million for establishing Europe’s most advanced 300mm semiconductor wafer production facility for state-of-the-art chips. MEMC’s new wafer fab will fill a critical gap in the European semiconductor supply chain that until now has been highly dependent on imports to supply wafers for the most advanced technology platforms.
Company President Marco Sciamanna noted: “Our new MEMC 300mm production facility will support the creation of downstream products in all four of the high-tech Workstreams targeted by the IPCEI-ME/CT program, namely SENSE (Sensor applications), THINK (Logic applications), ACT (Power Applications), and COMMUNICATE (Communication applications). We are proud to be counted among the 56 companies participating in the program and even prouder to be one of only a handful of the companies to add tangible value to all four of the targeted Workstreams.”
From Hsinchu, Taiwan, GlobalWafers Chairwoman Doris Hsu added, “In this era of economic regionalization, the European Commission and the Italian Government have strategically targeted the most important investments to build resiliency in the European semiconductor and high-tech sectors. In this regard, GlobalWafers MEMC’s new 300mm Novara fab perfectly fits the European Commission’s definition of “Research and Development” and “First Industrial Deployment” of advanced technology. As the newest 300mm silicon wafer production facility in Europe, MEMC S.p.A. is utilizing the industry’s most cutting-edge manufacturing technology to meet our clients’ ever more sophisticated requirements. We are honored to be part of the IPCEI ME/CT program and thank the EU Commission and MIMIT for their support.”
With manufacturing facilities in Novara and Merano, MEMC S.p.A. has for decades successfully operated in Italy, producing wafers for hundreds of European and global makers. MEMC S.p.A. wafers are used to build devices used across the entire European high-tech economy ranging from cars and the industrial-Internet of Things (IOT & IIOT) to consumer electronics and medical equipment. With this expansion, MEMC is bringing 600 construction jobs to Novara, in addition to 150 new long-term company jobs. With each new job added in the semiconductor industry, 5.7 additional jobs are supported in the local economy, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.
As a key ESG imperative, GlobalWafers companies across the globe practice green manufacturing and constantly seek to improve energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management and air pollution control. When at full ramp, MEMC S.p.A.’s new 300mm fab will recycle up to half of its water used in production and have forward plans to utilize 100% renewable energy to manufacture the world’s most advanced silicon wafers. MEMC S.p.A., as a proud member of GlobalWafers family, is committed to reducing its environmental footprint to the fullest extent possible.
GlobalWafers Co., Ltd., the world’s third largest supplier of semiconductor wafers, maintains 18 manufacturing and operational sites spanning three continents and nine countries. The company is a global leader in semiconductor technology, providing innovative and advanced technology solutions to leading chip manufacturers to transform lives around the world.
