GlobalWafers announced on June 18 that, following the European Commission's Directorate-General (DG) approval of GlobalWafers' Italian subsidiary MEMC Electronic Materials' plant expansion project, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) has once again issued a bill to provide MEMC with a research and development subsidy of up to EUR103 million (US$110.4 million), which will be used to build Europe's most advanced 12-inch semiconductor wafer fab.
The European semiconductor supply chain remains heavily reliant on imports in the context of advanced wafers. This critical gap is anticipated to be addressed by MEMC's forthcoming wafer facility.
The new 12-inch wafer plant will support the development of downstream products in four high-tech sectors highlighted by the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI), according to MEMC president Marco Sciamanna. These areas include sensors, logic devices, power electronics, and communication components.
Doris Hsu, chairperson of GlobalWafers, noted that the EC and the Italian government have prioritized investments in the local semiconductor and high-tech industries to strengthen their resilience. MEMC's new 12-inch wafer facility meets the EC's standards for advanced technology R&D and initial industrial deployment.
Continuing, Hsu stated that MEMC's new 12-inch fab will be the most advanced in Europe and will utilize advanced manufacturing processes to meet the increasingly complex requirements of clients.
MEMC has been operating in Italy for decades, with production sites in Novara and Merano, focusing on local European industries such as automobiles, industrial Internet of Things, consumer electronics, and medical equipment.
