As part of an effort to regain its position as a leading maker of semiconductors amidst a global chip shortage, Intel is committing $20 billion to build a manufacturing mega-site in New Albany, on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio.
The chip maker confirmed to TIME that it will build at least two semiconductor fabrication plants, or fabs, on the 1,000-acre site, where Intel will research, develop, and manufacture its most cutting-edge computer chips, employing at least 3,000 people.
The news comes after months of rumors of a massive economic development project on the horizon, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The nearly 1,000 acres that Intel plans to use can accommodate as many as eight chip factories, representing the state’s biggest economic development project in history.
“We want to grow this to be a megafab location that is one of, if not the biggest of, any semiconductor location on the planet,” CEO Pat Gelsinger told The Dispatch in an interview Thursday.
That could mean $100 billion in investment over the next decade and 10,000 workers. Each Intel job could mean another 10 additional jobs, Gelsinger said, linking the scope and speed of that expansion to expected federal grants if Congress approves a spending package known as the CHIPS Act.
“We will go bigger and broader if it gets funded,” Mr. Gelsinger, 60, said in a recent interview. “But our recovery plans don’t rely on the CHIPS act.”
“This is just one of those catalytic programs that literally is going to take New Albany from a wonderful little town to becoming one of the high-tech mega-centers on the planet,” he said.
Intel said Air Products, Applied Materials, LAM Research, and Ultra Clean Technology have indicated they plan to establish a presence in the region, and that more companies are expected.
