GlobalWafers opens advanced 12-inch wafer plant in northern Italy

Novara, Italy, Oct. 15 (CNA) Taiwan-based GlobalWafers Co., the world's third largest silicon wafer supplier, on Wednesday opened a 12-inch silicon wafer plant in Novara, northern Italy - the country's most advanced silicon wafer facility to date.

The new plant, coded "Fab300," was launched by GlobalWafers' Italian subsidiary MEMC Electronics Materials S.p.A at a ceremony attended by Taiwan's representative to Italy Vincent Tsai (蔡允中), MEMC President Marco Sciamanna and Novara Mayor Alessandro Canelli.

GlobalWafers Chairwoman Doris Hsu (徐秀蘭) said the investment marked a milestone in the company's expansion in Europe, adding that the Novara plant will be powered entirely by renewable energy - a reflection of its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.

Hsu praised Italy's renowned creativity and efficiency, saying she had been impressed by her Italian partners' strong execution and professionalism. She also highlighted artwork displayed at the ceremony by MEMC colleagues, saying they were engineers in the daytime but artists at night.

In June 2024, the Novara project secured a grant worth 103 million euros (US$119 million) from the European Commission and the Italian government to support research and development at the 12-inch wafer facility.

According to Taiwan's representative office in Italy, GlobalWafers acquired SunEdison Semiconductor Ltd., the predecessor of MEMC, in August 2016, taking over its production lines in Novara and Merano.

MEMC, which already operates 8-inch silicon wafer production lines, announced plans in February 2022 to build the 12-inch facility in Novara, the office said.

GlobalWafers previously said the new fab will support downstream manufacturing in four key high-tech workstreams: SENSE (sensor applications), THINK (logic applications), ACT (power applications), and COMMUNICATE (communication applications).

Through a series of mergers and acquisitions in recent years, GlobalWafers has grown to become the world's third-largest silicon wafer producer.

GlobalWafers currently operates 18 sites across nine countries: Taiwan, China, the United States, Japan, Denmark, South Korea, Italy, Malaysia and Singapore.