The semiconductor company Silicon Box, headquartered in Singapore, has selected Novara in Piedmont for a 3.2 billion euro investment to establish a new chip factory. Adolfo Urso, the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, announced this alongside senior management from Silicon Box. Urso believes that Italy has the potential to become a key production hub for microelectronics in Europe and globally, citing significant investments in the country’s microelectronics sector in recent months.
According to Urso, the investment by Silicon Box in Novara, announced in March, is expected to create 1600 qualified jobs and will be the first European chiplet production plant. State financing approval for a portion of the investment from the European Union is currently pending. The Italian government’s strategy aims to encourage large production investments in Italy, strengthen industrial research, and foster relationships with like-minded countries in order to enhance the country’s competitive advantage.
One of the significant investments in Italy’s microchip manufacturing sector is the 5 billion euro investment in Catania by StMicoelectronics. This project, announced in May, received around 2 billion euros in financial support from the Italian State under the European Chips Act. Other foreign investments in Italy, such as those from companies like Aixtron and SiPearl, as well as the European Commission’s investment in the Etna Valley, are contributing to Italy’s position as a leading European microchip manufacturer. Italy’s collaboration within the G7 Contact Group on chips further emphasizes the country’s commitment to advance its technological capabilities in various sectors.