U.S. company鈥檚 plans for chip factory in Germany welcome as booster to EV industry
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The announcement of a new microchip factory of U.S. semiconductor producer Wolfspeed with an investment by German automotive industry supplier ZF has been welcome by chancellor Olaf Scholz as an important step in readying the country鈥檚 car industry for the transition towards electric vehicles. The chip factory in the western state of Saarland, which will be built on the site of a former coal plant, 鈥渟howcases Germany鈥檚 competitiveness, increases the resilience of our industry and represents successful economic transformation,鈥� Scholz at a visit to the future construction site. The chip factory will be supported through funding from the EU鈥檚 Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) programme. 鈥淭he planned investment is one of the largest in Saarland鈥檚 history,鈥� said Robert Habeck, the federal minister for economy and climate, who also visited the site in Ensdorf near Saarbr眉cken. Habeck argued that the project would bring benefits beyond Saarland鈥檚 borders. 鈥淲e need the most modern chips and innovative conductor electronics to build out more renewable energy and e-mobility,鈥� he added. Saarland鈥檚 state premier Anke Rehlinger said the chip factory will create up to 1,000 jobs in the region and likely lure other investors in the automotive industry to the former coal mining region. 鈥淪uch a high-tech investment makes Saarland one of the most attractive locations for electric mobility,鈥� Rehlinger said. Holger Klein, CEO at ZF, the factory would bolster the resilience of Europe鈥檚 semiconductor supply, and, at the same time, support the European Green Deal and the strategic digital industry goals for Europe.
The German government has set aside billions of euros to support IPCEI projects. While the EU is yet to greenlight the investment in the region bordering France, work at the site is ready to start already this year, according to Wolfspeed. A prerequisite for IPCEI support is an alignment with strategic goals of the EU, the involvement of several European states and expected spill-over effects on the internal market.
