(The Center Square)– The semiconductor industry continues to make waves in Arizona.
ASM International, a Dutch semiconductor equipment company with offices in Phoenix, announced that they are investing over $320 million into a new campus in Scottsdale. They have had a presence in Phoenix since the 1970s, but they said this expansion will help with their overall growth. The transition to the Scottsdale facility is expected to be completed in 2026. The company didn’t have any estimates on new jobs in the facility.
“The impact and relevance of what we do has never been greater today,” ASM International President and CEO Benjamin Loh said.
The development is one of many related to semiconductors in recent months. Arizona has taken the lion’s share of CHIPS and Science Act dollars, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022 to help pump up the semiconductor industry in the United States.
According to policy analyst Jack Conness, $72 billion has been invested into Arizona from the act, with New York and Idaho in distant second and third. Job creation estimates are also the highest for Arizona at 9,765.
Since then, several companies have announced billions in investments. ASM is one of the companies waiting on the status of their application to receive federal funding for this project.
In 2022, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company announced a $40 billion investment and Intel announced a $30 billion investment, which is expected to create thousands of jobs. The most recent announcement before ASM came from Tempe-based Amkor Technology, as it is planning for a $2 billion investment into a packaging and test facility in north Phoenix, which is expected to generate 2,000 jobs, The Center Square reported at the time.
As for ASM, they make the equipment that builds the semiconductors themselves.
Many chips used for everyday technology are made in Taiwan, so the investments are seen by some as a national security measure to protect the U.S. in the event China invades the island. However, concerns have mounted about ensuring there are enough skilled workers to fill the jobs, as much of it is centered outside of the United States.
The Hobbs administration recently announced a registered apprenticeship program to build up the number of skilled workers in Arizona, and the governor said more types of programs could be coming down the pipeline.
“We’re continuing to work with ASU and other partners on just specifically the semiconductor workforce but also other advanced manufacturing workforce,” Gov. Katie Hobbs told The Center Square at a press gaggle following the announcement Tuesday afternoon.
“We’re set to announce three more workforce accelerators like the semiconductor one we announced a few weeks ago, and so we’re certainly looking at what the needs are and how we can continue to be supportive partners,” she added.
