Intel is petitioning the German government to top up the previously agreed upon 6.8 billion euros in subsidies with another 5 billion euros, Bloomberg reports. The US semiconductor manufacturer says that costs have ballooned from an originally estimated 17 billion euros to 30 billion euros. “Disruptions in the global economy have resulted in increased costs, from construction materials to energy,” Intel says in a statement.
Construction of the fab first announced in March 2022 and scheduled to start in H2 2023 was put on hold in December. Intel said it was still “100 percent committed” to its construction, but until now it was unclear by how much costs have inflated and how much more subsidies it would be asking for.
The European Chips Act allows for member states to cover a maximum of 40 percent of total investment. That would be 12 billion euros on an investment of 30 billion euros. Intel said it’s discussing the increased support requirement with the German government. The Economy Ministry declined to comment on these talks but said it’s still prepared to support the semiconductor industry.
Intel posted dismal financial results in January, with revenue year-over-year plunging 32 percent in 4Q2023. The PC market has chilled after a pandemic-induced growth spurt over the past two years. Additionally, Intel is playing catch-up to TSMC, which manufactures chips for its main competitors, AMD and Apple.
PhD pitches at the Benelux RF Conference
Learn about the latest trends and developments in high-end RF techniques. On 24 May, the Benelux RF Conference will take place in Nijmegen. New this year are the PhD pitches, in which young professionals present their research results. Make sure to reserve your seat in time and register now.