 |
| Samsung is one of the world's largest chip makers with more than 20,000 employees across the US. (Photo by= EPA) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] Samsung has chosen a site close to the city of Taylor in Texas for its new $17bn (£12.7bn) computer chip plant, amid a global shortage of semiconductors. BBC reported that it’s the South Korean electronics giant's biggest-ever US investment.
The plant is expected to create 2,000 technology industry jobs, with construction starting early next year. Samsung, like several of its rivals, is racing to expand chipmaking in the US to tackle supply chain issues. "With greater manufacturing capacity, we will be able to better serve the needs of our customers and contribute to the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain," Kinam Kim, chief executive of Samsung electronics device solutions said. The plant is expected to be operational by the second half of 2024.
It comes as US President Joe Biden has been pushing chip giants to increase their production in the US. The Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, tweeted "Welcome to Texas, Samsung!", as he posted photographs of an event to announce the plan. Chips made at the new facility will be used in a range of technologies including mobile, 5G, high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. The global chip shortage has been causing major disruptions for manufacturers, from carmakers that have had to suspend production to Apple warning that iPhone shipments would be delayed.
