ADI invests Euro 630 M in Ireland to ensure semiconductor global supply chain resilience
Date: 17/05/2023
Precision and safety critical applications focused semiconductor vendor Analog Devices to invest Euro 630 million at its European regional headquarters in the Raheen Business Park in Limerick, Ireland. The money to spend on construction of a new, state of art 45K square feet research and semiconductor fab facility.
Eying the growing digital transformation of Industrial, Automotive, Healthcare, Analog Devices to leverage this facility for its next-gen analog and mixed signal chain processing semiconductor solutions. With this ADI is rising its internal manufacturing capacity by two times and to triple its European semiconductor wafer production capacity.
This is strategically planned to ensure resiliency of its global supply chain in today's volatile geopolitical situation. To protect the local semiconductor industry along with US, Europe too working on projects such as Common European Interest on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies (IPCEI ME/CT) initiative. Analog Devices is collaborating with IPCEI ME/CT initiative, and will support cross-border collaborative research. ADI said its IPCEI application - Ireland's first since the inception of the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) initiative - is subject to final approval from the European Commission, and is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.
Analog Devices to hire 600 more people in the mid-west region of Ireland, to its present staff strength of 1500 in Ireland and 3100 in total Europe.
An year ago Analog Devices had invested Euro 100 million in ADI Catalyst, its 100,000 sq-ft custom-built facility for innovation and collaboration at its Limerick campus. It's Ireland research center produced more than 1,000 patents since its inception and has seeded ADI R&D sites throughout Europe in Spain, Italy, UK, Romania, and Germany, says ADI.
"Since 1976, Ireland has been a critical innovation center for ADI, thanks to its strong academic and research organizations, business ecosystem, and progressive government leadership," said ADI CEO and Chair Vincent Roche. "This next-generation semiconductor manufacturing facility and expanded R&D team will further extend ADI Limerick's global influence. Through organic R&D and close collaboration with our customers and ecosystem partners, we are striving to solve some of the world's greatest challenges and enable a more efficient, safer, and sustainable future."
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD said: "This is a really significant announcement for Limerick and the Mid-West region, which marks a new chapter in the longstanding relationship between ADI and Ireland. This massive €630 million investment is great news for local employment with lots of jobs being created during the construction phase, and 600 high-end graduate jobs. It means a significant expansion in the size and scale of ADI's research, innovation, and development, leading to new, highly innovative products. This investment is further evidence of the Government's commitment to bringing jobs to the Mid-West. Most IDA jobs created in recent years have been outside of Dublin, and Limerick has done particularly well with its deep talent pool, universities, airport, and infrastructure. This investment will also mean lots of spin-off jobs and contracts for local SMEs and Irish-owned businesses. ADI's investment is part of Ireland's commitment to develop Important Projects of Common European Interest, IPCEIs, and will contribute to Europe's broader microelectronics sector. The future is digital. There can be no such future without microchips and it's great that Ireland is such an important player in the supply chain.”
Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment Simon Coveney said: “This is a much welcome announcement from Analog Devices and a great vote of confidence in Limerick and the Mid-West. It's also noteworthy that it's the latest in a series of major job announcements outside of Dublin. I'm struck not only by the scale of the investment, but also the high quality positions that will result. I'll be visiting Analog Devices in Boston during a trade mission this week where we'll be looking forward to many more years of doing business in Ireland."
IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan said: “The technology that ADI will develop at this facility in Limerick is at the very forefront of innovation and has the potential to revolutionise the lives of billions of people across the world. This investment by ADI is intended to strengthen our supply chain resilience for advanced semiconductor processes. We wish continued success to ADI and look forward to our continued partnership. This is a transformational investment for the Limerick site, for the Mid-West region, and for the semiconductor industry in Ireland. IDA Ireland is committed to supporting investments of scale that impact positively on Europe's semiconductor industry."
Author: Srinivasa Reddy N
