Silicon Box to Invest €3.2B in a Semiconductor Fab in Italy – EE Times Europe

Advertisement
EE Times Europe
This multi-year investment will replicate Silicon Box’s flagship foundry in Singapore, which has demonstrated its ability to produce advanced semiconductor packaging solutions.
Advertisement
The Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso announced Monday (March 11) that Singapore’s startup Silicon Box plans to invest €3.2 billion in a new semiconductor fab in Italy.
The agreement signed between Minister Urso and Silicon Box’s CEO Byung Joon Han aims to build a chip fab in one of Italy’s northern regions. Han pointed out that Italy was the first country chosen by the Singaporean startup to implement a strategy aimed at expanding its presence and operations worldwide. This announcement appears to be a godsend after Intel abandoned the initial plan of building one of its backend plants in the country.
At the beginning of 2024, Silicon Box announced it had raised funds worth US$200 million, leading to a total valuation of more than US$1 billion, despite not being listed on any stock exchange. Investors in this financing round included Hillhouse Capital, the corporate venture arm of Lam Research and India’s conglomerate Tata Electronics.
Silicon Box’s investment in Italy, due to be finalized this year, will contribute to global semiconductor manufacturing capacity, through the creation of a flexible, global supply chain for semiconductor chips. Operational costs are forecast to exceed €4 billion over the first fifteen years. The final green light is awaited from the European Union, even if design and planning work has already begun. The fab will operate according to the strictest net-zero emissions rules, i.e., with a focus on the lowest possible carbon footprint and minimal environmental impact, the company said.
This multi-year investment will replicate Silicon Box’s flagship foundry in Singapore, which has demonstrated its ability to produce advanced semiconductor packaging solutions, and then extend it to 3D integration and testing.
Silicon Box, a provider of advanced semiconductor integration services, claims it can deliver full execution, from initial design to final manufacturing of chiplets.
The adoption of chiplets is key to building the emerging technologies that are shaping today’s world. The company said its proprietary manufacturing method enables sub-5 micron technology, setting the standard for design flexibility and electrical performance. Chip activities are complemented by advanced packaging solutions, low-cost production schemes and efficient interconnection.
Semiconductor integration creates a more complex system that offers enhanced performance, improved power efficiency and reduced form factor. It involves the integration of various technologies like digital logic and analog circuits, sensors, memories and power management systems. Chiplets play a key role in enabling further semiconductor integration. A chiplet is a discrete, self-contained or free-standing semiconductor component that performs a specific function or hosts a specific technology. Chiplets can be designed, manufactured and tested independently of each other, and then combined or interconnected to form a larger and more complex integrated circuit, with significant improvement in terms of design and ease of testing. Silicon Box said it aims “to attain leadership in new paradigms for semiconductor manufacturing and technology, achieved through competitive value propositions and world class service”. The innovative design concept of chiplets can also usher in a closer collaboration among the different stockholders involved in the supply chains. Chiplets are increasingly being adopted by major companies such as Apple and AMD, due to their greater flexibility, performance and efficiency.
Silicon Box was founded in 2021 by Han, former manager at AT&T and IBM, together with the founders of Marvell Technology, Sehat Sutardja and his wife Weili Dai.
“Recent global upheavals highlight the need to build a more resilient supply chain for semiconductors in Europe,” Urso told reporters. The chiplet production plant is expected to create 1,600 jobs when fully operational, in addition to several thousand indirect jobs created both during construction of the facility and in the wider supply and logistics ecosystem.
The creation of 1,600 new jobs in a high-tech sector is certainly a major success, not only for the region where the production site will be built, but also for the whole country and for Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s government, which has long strived to attract investment from technology companies. New professional profiles will be needed, which represents a challenge for Italian universities and research institutions, but also a unique opportunity to strengthen Italy’s and Europe’s current position in semiconductors. In fact, the new integrated production facility should act as a catalyst for broader ecosystem investment and innovation in Italy, as well as the rest of the European Union.
Minister Urso is firmly convinced that the new investment will strengthen Italy’s leading role in Europe. He has set four goals: corroborate the chip design capability to enlarge the internal market; consolidate the country’s advantage in power electronics and analog components; enhance Italy’s production capacity in semiconductor-related equipment, including test machines where Italy already excels; and, finally, promote stronger international collaboration ties. To achieve such ambitious targets, Minister Urso said the Italian government plans to invest €4 billion by 2030 to develop the domestic semiconductor industry.
Read also:
Chips Acts’ Role in Reshaping a Global Industry
While the U.S. and EU chip initiatives are a promising step forward, the capital influx alone is not a silver bullet.
Filippo Di Giovanni is a contributor for EE Times Europe. Now retired, he was strategic marketing manager at STMicroelectronics.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website


Δ
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Advertisement

Advertisement
 

Advertisement

source