Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. Image: Marc O'Sullivan Photography
CEO Pat Gelsinger pledged continued investment in the country regardless of the outcome of the current site selection process.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has said that Ireland is on the shortlist for billions of euros of investment by the company in its European manufacturing capacity.
The head of the chipmaking giant spoke during a visit to Ireland yesterday (9 September) as part of a wider European trip. Gelsinger met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD, and the two toured the Intel site in Leixlip, Co Kildare, which is being expanded as part of an existing initiative that began in 2019.
Martin and Gelsinger also met with IDA Ireland representatives.
Earlier this week, Gelsinger said Intel plans to invest €80bn in Europe over the next decade and that some capacity at the Leixlip plant will be set aside specifically for automotive chip production.
The company is in negotiations with EU leaders over where to build two new chipmaking facilities and the amount of financial support the bloc will provide for the project.
Speaking during the Leixlip tour, Gelsinger said: “We have gotten nominations for sites from across European countries, some 70 different sites. We are down to about 10 finalists now that have sort of met the bar and Ireland is clearly one of those.”
According to RTÉ, the CEO added that regardless of whether Ireland is selected for a major new facility, the company plans to continue investment in the country in the future.
“This has just been a great spot for Intel and I am certainly hopeful that we continue to expand that as we go forward and everything is going well,” he said.
An Intel spokesperson told Siliconrepublic.com: “Intel has previously stated our plans to build two new fabs in the EU and invest €80bn over the next decade.
“We are having constructive conversations with the European Commission and governments of several member states and we’re encouraged by the shared ambition to manufacture 20pc of the world’s cutting-edge chips by 2030.”
The spokesperson concluded: “Negotiations are ongoing and we hope to be able to make an announcement by the end of the year.”
