U.S. semiconductor equipment manufacturer, Applied Materials, plans to invest up to $4B in a new research center called Epic in Silicon Valley. The center aims to speed up the transfer of innovative ideas from research labs to chip manufacturing equipment designers. - Epic, or Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization Center, will bring together experts from research universities and major chipmakers like Intel, TSMC, and Samsung to explore cutting-edge materials and techniques for more advanced chips.
- Applied Materials, the biggest maker of chip manufacturing tools worldwide, said chip makers would have the opportunity to reserve space in the center and test new tools before their commercial release.
- The center is expected to create at least 2,000 engineering jobs and potentially another 11,000 in related industries when it comes online in 2026.
- Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the planned location in Sunnyvale, California, to announce the center and encourage further investments in American chip manufacturing.
- Applied said it would invest up to $4B in the facility over seven years, with plans to spend over $25B on R&D within the first decade.
- The center is seeking government subsidies through the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, which sets aside nearly $53B in federal funds to bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
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