With an investment volume of five billion euros, the new plant will make a significant contribution to the European Commission’s goal of increasing the EU’s share of global semiconductor production to 20 percent by 2030. The semiconductors manufactured in Dresden will secure value chains in key European industries even better in the future. The products manufactured in the new production facility will be used in the automotive industry and in the renewable energy sector, for example. The interaction of power semiconductors and analog/mixed-signal components enables particularly energy-efficient and intelligent system solutions – hence the name Smart Power Fab.
“The construction of the Smart Power Fab is a great gain for Dresden, Saxony, Germany and Europe,” says Michael Kretschmer, Minister President of the Free State of Saxony. “Infineon’s fourth production module in Dresden is another important building block in strengthening Europe’s resilience in the field of microelectronics. It is a further step towards achieving the European Commission’s goal of increasing Europe’s share of global chip production to 20 percent. Thanks to clever cooperation between the company, the Free State of Bavaria, the local authorities and the federal government, it has been possible to get the investment off the ground and also to issue the relevant permits quickly. As a result, the semiconductors that we urgently need for the mobility and energy transition can already be produced in the new fab from 2026.
Construction site of Infineon’s Smart Power Fab in Dresden. Photo: Infineon
“We are making excellent progress with the construction of our state-of-the-art Smart Power Fab in Dresden. The fact that we are right on schedule is also thanks to the excellent cooperation with the authorities,” says Dr. Rutger Wijburg, Member of the Management Board and Chief Operations Officer of Infineon. “With our strategic decision to continue investing in Dresden, we are securing the long-term future of the site and strengthening the manufacturing base for semiconductors in Europe.”
The dimensions of the construction site are impressive. On average, construction workers have removed around 8,000 tons of earth every day since the start of work. A total of 450,000 cubic meters of excavated earth was produced, which corresponds to the volume of 180 Olympic swimming pools. The earth is being temporarily stored in a specially prepared area near the Dresden Airport freeway junction. The 22-metre-deep pit not only compensates for the natural gradient, but also provides a firm foundation for the 150 to 190-centimetre-thick base plate, which is intended to reduce vibrations – from passing streetcars, for example – to a minimum. This is because even minimal vibrations can affect sensitive semiconductor production.
In the construction phase that is now beginning, the basement floors will be built, among other things. The clean room – the heart of the Smart Power Fab – is planned for the fourth level. Once completed, it will be at exactly the same height as the site’s three existing production rooms. This will enable optimally integrated production. In the further construction phase of the project, a total of ten tower cranes, some of them 80 meters high, will support the up to 1,200 construction workers who will be working on the site every day in multiple shifts.
The investment in Dresden is part of the company’s strategy to become carbon neutral by 2030. The Smart Power Fab sets standards in terms of the consumption of important resources such as energy and water. This has a positive impact on Infineon’s carbon footprint. Even today, Infineon’s products, which are used in solar and wind power plants, for example, help to save 34 times the amount of CO2 emitted during their production over their lifetime.
Investing in the new plant, Infineon is creating an additional 1,000 jobs in the Saxon state capital. The company currently employs around 3,250 people in Dresden. The number of trainees has already been significantly increased in view of the new Fab. Subject to the European Commission’s state aid decision and the national grant procedure, the project is to be funded in accordance with the objectives of the European Chips Act. Infineon is aiming for public funding of around one billion euros.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG is a leading global provider of semiconductor solutions for power systems and the Internet of Things (IoT). With its products and solutions, Infineon is driving decarbonization and digitalization. The company has around 58,600 employees worldwide and generated sales of around 16.3 billion euros in the 2023 financial year (end of September).
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Further links
👉 www.infineon.com
Photo: Infineon
