Catalonia It will have a technological center for chip production, one of the country’s strategic bets. The presidents Pedro Sanchez and Pere Aragones They have agreed to give impetus to the Innofab project, with an investment of 300 million euros and which will have about 200 workers.
Both administrations see strategic this project. In fact, it is part of the 12 key Catalan projects for Aragonès for which it is also already seeking international financing. The forecast is that it will be located next to the Alba Synchrotron (Cerdanyola del Vallès) and will be ready in 2026. The idea is that the project will be financed through the perte (strategic project with European Next Generation funds) of microelectronics and semiconductors.
This is an initiative on which the Generalitatwhich has the support of the association Barcelona Globalthrough its investment attraction agency Barcelona & Partners, and the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2).
It involves the construction of a clean room for the advanced materials chip design and pre-production, according to sources familiar with the project. Among its promoter group, Innofab has the Alba Synchrotron, whose land is planned to house the facilities; the Barcelona Microelectronics Institute (IMB); the Institute of Photo Sciences of Barcelona (Icfo) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).
Work on the new technological facility is expected to begin next year and will last about two years. It will occupy about 2,000 square meters, with the possibility of being expanded; and would occupy about 2,000 square meters, with the possibility of expanding, and will occupy 200 people.
Chips are small pieces of semiconductor material that can have multiple applications: for electric vehicles and chargers, renewable energy solutions, computers, mobile phones, satellites or data centers. In addition, they are an increasingly crucial element, as the supply problems experienced as a result of the covid-19 crisis have highlighted. on this plant Chips will be designed and prototypes will be madethat is, a first manufacturing of new chip models in order to validate them and give rise, later, to eventual serial productions.
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Large multinationals produce the chips for their products in specialized factories located mainly in Asia. In the case of Innofab, the aim is to provide service to smaller companies without their own factories or to research centers, according to the same sources. The promoters estimate that in its first five years of operation the plant would manufacture about 15,000 chips.
For the manufacture of chips, a ‘clean room’ with very special conditions is necessary, strict control of contaminating particles and carefully supervised hygiene.