Singapore-based semiconductor firm Silicon Box to invest $4.7b in new chip plant in Italy

ROME - Singapore-based semiconductor firm Silicon Box will invest 3.2 billion euros (S$4.66 billion) in a new plant in northern Italy under a government-backed deal, Italy’s industry ministry said on March 11.

The project is part of long-standing Italian efforts to attract investment from technology companies, which have also included a never-finalised deal with US firm Intel.

“At full capacity, the investment will be able to generate 1,600 new direct jobs, in addition to the indirect jobs generated both for the construction of the facility and in the wider supply and logistics ecosystem involved when fully operational,” the statement said.

Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said the project had around 4 billion euros in expected operational costs spread over 15 years.

It remains to be seen where exactly in the north of Italy the plant will be based, as there are several sites across that area up for grabs.

In Singapore, Silicon Box

launched a US$2 billion (S$2.66 billion) 73,000 sq m facility

in Tampines in July 2023, which is designed to manufacture semiconductor chiplet interconnections that can be applied in areas such as artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and wearables.

The almost three-year-old startup, created by the founders of US chipmaker Marvell, focuses on so-called “chiplets”, which can be the size of a grain of sand.

These are brought together in a process called advanced packaging, a cost-efficient way to bind small semiconductors to form one processor that can power everything from data centres to household appliances. REUTERS