Our Vision
Intel’s Contribution to Europe: Supporting European Manufacturing, Fostering R&D Collaboration, Sustainability, and Growing European Partnerships
Intel’s large-scale manufacturing operations have boosted European economic growth and innovation for more than 30 years. We employ over 10,000 people throughout Europe, including Ireland, Germany, Poland, and France. Intel teams in Europe also support R&D, manufacturing and powering innovation globally.
More Than 30 Years of Manufacturing Presence in Europe
Intel is also continuing to invest in its Leixlip, Ireland, expansion project, spending an additional 12 billion euros and doubling the manufacturing space to bring Intel 4 process technology to Europe and expand foundry services. Once complete, this expansion will bring Intel’s total investment in Ireland to more than 30 billion euros. We currently employ 4,500 people in Ireland directly, and these jobs at Intel indirectly support an additional 6,600 jobs.
In March 2021, Intel detailed how its recent €5.5 billion investment in Europe will more than double Intel’s available manufacturing space in Europe. (For more information, see Intel’s announcement “Intel Shares Europe’s 2030 Digital Ambition.”) We expect to add another 1,600 jobs to the facility in Ireland, following the expansion. Over the past two years, we have spent more than €10 billion with European suppliers. Intel Ireland contributes approximately €2.75 billion each year to the Irish economy through direct and indirect employment and business.
“This is about global partnerships, but also being locally present in an ecosystem. Certainly, long-term there is going to be a need for advanced semiconductors in Europe.”
— Jo De Boeck, Chief Strategy Officer iMEC at Euractiv event “Leading-edge semiconductors: a cornerstone for Europe’s digital future”, 10 November 2021
Innovation through Partnerships
We invest in research and development of cutting-edge technologies and the future of European talent through our venture capital investment arm, Intel Capital, and through our start-up incubator, Intel Ignite. Intel engages with leading EU research universities and institutes through Intel Collaborative Research Institute (ICRI). For example, Intel launched the ICRI for Private AI in December 2020 coordinated by TU Darmstadt in Germany and ICRI Safe Automated Vehicles (SAVe) in 2019 for partners including Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fraunhofer IKS, Fortiss and others. Intel also works with European partners like ETH Zurich, Switzerland on neuromorphic computing and with the Technical University of Munich on Safe AI.
Intel has a longstanding partnership with CEA-Leti in France to support the French semiconductor sector and maintains strong partnerships with leading European organizations such as IMEC in Belgium and Fraunhofer in Germany.
From next generation communications technology to AI and quantum computing, Intel’s partnerships with European technology leaders are helping advance the EU’s digital agenda.
“Advanced manufacturing facilities will function as a magnet for innovation spill-overs and talent attraction across the entire European ecosystem. We therefore strongly support European funding to prioritize breakthrough technologies and ‘first-of-a-kind’ facilities.”
European Goals and Values
The EU has set out an ambitious target to reach at least 20% of world production of advanced semiconductors in Europe by 2030. It also hopes to build European capacity to design and manufacture the most powerful and energy-efficient processors.
Intel supports the EU’s efforts to restore chip production through the Chips Act and we look forward to playing our part in building a world-leading semiconductor industry in Europe. You can read more about the EU’s Chips Act.
Intel shares Europe’s values for technology leadership, centred on sustainability, trustworthiness and responsible sourcing. We share a common goal to increase sustainable, advanced semiconductor manufacturing in Europe to mitigate the risks of the EU’s over-reliance on a single region in the world for its chip supply. With our existing integrated supply chain, Intel can help the EU achieve this goal and be the EU’s partner for accelerating innovation and technology leadership.
Green and Clean Chips
The EU is preparing for the intertwined green and digital transitions. Intel’s investments will support the digital transition, but equally, will also be well-placed to tap into the growing demand for green technology powered by digital innovation. More energy-efficient chips can reduce the power consumption of the next wave of digital hardware, and powerful chips can drive the services and applications including Artificial Intelligence and High Performance Computing that will equally be part of the green transition. Locating our facilities within Europe will also provide assurance for our European partners that modern fabs are operating to European standards in sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Intel has committed to ambitious sustainability goals. By 2030, we aim to be net water positive by reducing water use and supporting water restoration projects. Also by 2030, we will use 100 percent renewable energy across all our manufacturing sites around the world and conserve 4 billion kWh of energy. We have committed to drive a 10% reduction in our absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from 2020 to 2030. We will also achieve less than 1% landfill waste and implement circular economy strategies for 60% of our manufacturing waste streams in partnership with our suppliers.
These are global targets for Intel.