Applied Materials, the world’s largest manufacturer of tools used in chipmaking, plans to invest up to $4 billion (CZK 87.8 billion) in a research centre in Silicon Valley in the US state of California. The investment is aimed at accelerating progress in semiconductor manufacturing. The new centre is expected to be operational in 2026 and will create about 2,000 jobs, the company said on Monday.
The announcement comes at a time when the United States is struggling to revive advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Last year, the country approved a $52 billion measure to that end.
Applied Materials
Applied Materials said the center will be called the Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization (EPIC) Center and will be the size of more than three American football fields. It is intended to bring together staff from research universities and chipmakers. By bringing universities and chipmakers under one roof, Applied hopes to cut the time it takes to bring ideas from university research teams into production by nearly a third.
Government funding
The company plans to get government funding through the CHIPS Act and the Science Act. Citing senior government officials, Reuters reported that the U.S. Department of Commerce has already received more than 300 pre-applications for incentives under the CHIPS Act totaling $39 billion.
Source: ÄŒTK
