The rendering above shows early plans for two new leading-edge Intel processor factories in Licking County, Ohio.
New chip factories will be largest single private sector investment in Ohio history
The Ohio State University will join institutions of higher education across the state to support Intel’s landmark investment in Ohio.
Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson is set to share a stage with Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, federal officials and leaders from Intel today as the company announced plans to invest more than $20 billion in the construction of two new leading-edge chip factories in the state.
“I know from experience that building a pipeline of highly skilled talent is critical to success in all industries, and my fellow trustees and I are excited to see Intel choose Ohio for this historic investment in jobs and opportunity,” said Gary Heminger, chair of the Board of Trustees. “Ohio State is well equipped to partner with Intel and the state’s higher education community to develop the skilled workforce and spearhead the 21st century research that will support this transformative development.”
The investment will help boost production to meet the surging demand for advanced semiconductors and support a new generation of innovation from Intel and its customers. The semiconductor factory will bring a new industry at scale for Ohio and the Midwest.
“Semiconductors make almost every facet of modern life possible – from computers and smartphones to cars and appliances – and they played an integral role in the technologies that enabled us to stay connected throughout the pandemic,” Johnson said. “They will also be integral to a wide range of applications in which Ohio State is actively involved from a research perspective, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, vaccine development and more. So, it’s a natural fit for Ohio State, along with our fellow institutions of higher education, to partner on this game-changing investment in semiconductor manufacturing.”
To support the development of the new site, Intel pledged an additional $100 million toward partnerships with educational institutions to develop talent and bolster research programs in the region. The investment over the next decade will include Ohio universities and community colleges and the U.S. National Science Foundation. These partnerships will span a range of activities, from collaborative research projects to building semiconductor-specific curricula for associate and undergraduate degree programs.
“This project will catalyze investment in educational opportunities and high-tech research, building upon Ohio State’s existing research and innovation capacity in semiconductor, electronic and photonic devices, materials, manufacturing and metrology,” said Grace Wang, executive vice president for the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge. “As a land-grant flagship university with a commitment to convergent research, we are excited to see the opportunities that flourish with this new venture.”
“This historic announcement will transform research and innovation across Ohio State’s Institute for Materials Research. We look forward to supporting Intel as they advance state-of-the-art semiconductor technologies here in Ohio.”
— IMR Executive Director Steven Ringel, Distinguished University Professor, Neal A. Smith Chair Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Associate Vice President for Research.
The announcement also highlights the strong partnership between higher education, government, and business and industry in Ohio. JobsOhio, the state’s economic development organization, and One Columbus, the development partner in the region, provided decisive support to help secure the investment in central Ohio, Wang said.
“We continue to benefit from the strong leadership of JobsOhio President and CEO JP Nauseef and Kenny McDonald, president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership, to cultivate this vibrant opportunity in our state,” Wang said.
Ohio’s four-year and two-year institutions, as well as vocational and technical schools, will have an opportunity to support everything from research partnerships to training workers for in-demand jobs. Currently, Ohio is a net importer of college students, and Johnson said the opportunity to work at a company like Intel and to contribute to the ongoing research and development efforts created by the project is a strong incentive for those students to stay here in Ohio.
“Today’s announcement is significant for Ohio, for Intel, and for the national interest, as we are still in the midst of a global chip shortage,” she said. “But it also presents a remarkable opportunity for current and future students. It will cement Ohio as a top magnet for retaining and attracting a new generation of talent and build on numerous opportunities under development within our state’s colleges and universities, including at Ohio’s innovation districts, which are already taking shape in partnership with JobsOhio.”
As the largest single private sector investment in Ohio history, the initial phase of the project is expected to create 3,000 Intel jobs and 7,000 construction jobs over the course of the build, and support tens of thousands of additional local long-term jobs across a broad ecosystem of suppliers and partners.
Planning for the first two factories will start immediately, with construction expected to begin at the end of 2022. Production is expected to come online in 2025 and will deliver chips using the most advanced transistor technologies in the industry.
In addition to Intel’s presence in Ohio, the investment is expected to attract dozens of ecosystem partners and suppliers needed to provide local support for Intel’s operations – from semiconductor equipment and materials suppliers to a range of service providers. As part of today’s announcement, Air Products, Applied Materials, LAM Research and Ultra Clean Technology have indicated plans to establish a physical presence in the region to support the buildout of the site, with more expected in the future.
For more information on Intel’s plans in Ohio and its commitment to the community, visit the Intel Ohio web page, and learn more about the economic impact in the state at the JobsOhio website.
Article published by Ohio State News, Jan. 21, 2022.