Companies
High-tech firms set sights on Chengdu
Solid foundations, a skilled workforce and local government support make the investment hub a big draw for the world’s leading IT companies, Zhuan Ti reports
Chengdu is both a pioneer in the country’s opening-up and a leading destination for funds from international high-tech companies looking to invest in the region.
The United States semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries is one such company. As part of its global manufacturing business expansion plan, the company started building a new plant in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone on Feb. 10.
The facility aims to produce 12-inch semiconductor wafers — key components in electronic devices — in order to satisfy both Chinese and global demand for the company’s cutting-edge 22FDX technology, which offers the combination of performance, power consumption and cost for the mainstream mobile, internet of things, radio frequency connectivity and networking markets, according to the company.
Total investment in the project is expected to reach $10 billion. “The construction of the 12-inch wafer plant in Chengdu will be conducive to accelerating GlobalFoundries’ expansion in the Chinese market,” said the company’s chief executive, Sanjay Jha.
Construction of the Chengdu project is divided into two phases. In the first phase, production lines will be built for 12-inch wafers using complementary metal-oxide- semiconductor technology. The lines are expected to start production in the fourth quarter of next year.
In the second phase, production lines for 12-inch wafers using advanced 22FDX technology will be built, and these lines are scheduled to start production in the fourth quarter of 2019.
The new facility in Chengdu is the company’s largest and most advanced 12-inch wafer plant on the Chinese mainland, Jha said.
His company chose Chengdu because of…
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