Onsemi to invest up to €2bn in major Czech semiconductor plant expansion – National Technology
The US chipmaker Onsemi has announced plans to invest up to €2 billion to significantly boost its semiconductor production capacity in the Czech Republic.
The major brownfield project in the eastern town of Roznov pod Radhostem would be the largest ever single foreign direct investment in the country if it goes ahead.
Pending approval of state aid, Onsemi will expand its existing operations in the town to house an entire production line for silicon carbide semiconductors, including final chip modules used in sectors like automotive and renewable energy.
The investment follows similar big-ticket silicon carbide projects recently unveiled by STMicroelectronics in Italy and semiconductor giants Intel and TSMC in Germany as the European Union strives for greater self-sufficiency in critical chip supplies.
“The site would produce the company’s intelligent power semiconductors essential for improving energy efficiency of applications in electric vehicles, renewable energy and AI data centres,” an Onsemi statement said.
Silicon carbide chips offer advantages over standard silicon ones, being more energy-efficient, lightweight and robust – making them particularly attractive to carmakers.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala hailed the potential investment as “the biggest of its kind in modern history”, capable of multiplying Onsemi’s current daily output of 10 million chips at the Roznov plant.
However, details on job numbers, production volumes and revenues remain undisclosed, with Onsemi’s Simon Keeton, head of power solutions, only indicating production could start in 2027.
The chipmaker, which last week announced 1,000 job cuts globally, said the investment fits within its capital expenditure targets as semiconductor manufacturing eyes becoming a trillion-euro industry by 2030.
State aid negotiations with Prague are ongoing but could reach up to 27.5 per cent of the total based on ministry estimates – following lavish incentives already granted to other semiconductor projects across Europe.
Karl Lagerfeld uses genAI tool for content creation
Musk drops OpenAI lawsuit as Apple joins AI fray
Microsoft to Invest €6.69bn in new Spanish data centre hub
Santander to develop ‘consumer banking tech platform’ in the US
Musk faces Tesla shareholder lawsuit over alleged AI company diversion
Ikea owner invests in autonomous trucks built with genAI
The O2 to adopt Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ tech
Sainsbury’s offers loyalty points for EV charging in UK supermarket ‘first’
US ramps up semiconductor export controls
Apple abandons Buy Now Pay Later plans
Onsemi to invest up to €2bn in major Czech semiconductor plant expansion
Amazon pledges billions for German cloud infrastructure to meet surging AI demand
Snap announces new AR experiences powered by genAI
AMD investigates claims of major data breach
Microsoft bets big on forestry carbon offsets in record deal
Ikea owner invests in autonomous trucks built with genAI
Wimbledon launches genAI feature for tennis analysis
Karl Lagerfeld uses genAI tool for content creation
Apple abandons Buy Now Pay Later plans
New Cisco cybersecurity centre to help bolster Taiwan’s defences
The Sustainable Data Center: Getting More Done, and Leaving Less Behind
Get ahead in the cloud with Daisy: 7 benefits of Microsoft Azure
Bright Data acquires Market Beyond to add digital shelf analytics to its data offerings
Research reveals use of web content tools is expected to grow as internet restrictions continue to tighten
Influencing the social web space with public data