Intel Ireland

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Intel Ireland
Company typeSubsidiary
Industry
Founded29 September 1989; 34 years ago (1989-09-29)
Founders
HeadquartersCollinstown Industrial Park, ,
Ireland
Area served
Europe
Key people
Eamonn Sinnott (GM)
Products
Number of employees
7,500 (2023)
ParentIntel
Websiteintel.ie

Intel Ireland is the Irish subsidiary of the U.S.-based semiconductor giant, Intel.[1] Founded in 1989, the company is one of the largest employers in Ireland.[2][3][4]

History[edit]

Origins[edit]

In the late 1980s, Intel was in talks with IDA Ireland about potentially setting up its European manufacturing operations in Ireland, with other possibiltiies being Scotland and the Netherlands.[5][6][7][8] By September 1989, Intel had reached an agreement with IDA worth £87 million in grants to set up in Ireland. The subsidiary was registered on 29 September 1989 as Intel Ireland Limited.[9]

Since 1989, Intel has invested more than €30 billion turning Collinstown Industrial Park, according to Intel, into one of the "most advanced industrial campus[es] in Europe".[10][11][12]

As of 2020, Intel Ireland has approximately 7,500 employees employed at its 360 acre Leixlip campus.

Leixlip campus[edit]

Intel founder Gordon Moore came to Dublin to announce the 2,200 job project setting up in Ireland on 3 October 1989.[13] SIPTU were also in talks with the company regarding finalising an exclusive union membership deal.[14] On 5 October 1989, Intel submitted an application to Kildare County Council for full planning permission for the development of an “Electrical Systems Manufacturing and Assembly Industry” at the Collinstown Industrial Park in Leixlip, County Kildare.[15]

Intel began hiring employees in early November and officially began operations on 24 November 1989 at their temporary premises in Palmerstown.[16][17][18]

In January 1990, Intel were fairly certain that they were going to go ahead with its $250 million plan of creating a manufacturing plant, including a fabrication plant, at the planned industrial park site in Leixlip.[19] The foundation stone ceremony was held on 25 January 1990 at the nearby Castletown House.[20]

By June 1990, they were going forward with the second phase of the construction following the acceptance of its newest computer products in the European market.[21][22] Construction on the Fab 10 fabrication plant later began in 1991.[23]

Jacobs International Limited, the Irish subsidiary of U.S.-based Jacobs Solutions, were awarded a £100 million contract with Intel to provide architectural, engineering, procurement and construction services at the Leixlip site in April 1991.[24][25]

On 11 March 1992, Intel signed a deal with Amstrad in Hanover to manufacture a range of Amstrad's machines due to financial difficulties Amstrad experienced due to the recession. It was felt that this deal would be another boost for Intel's facility in Leixlip.[26]

The manufacturing plant manufactured its first chip in 1993. By October 1993, the company had a total of 1,000 employees and Christmas bonuses were being paid because of success.[27]

Fabrication plants[edit]

The campus at Leixlip is Intel's largest manufacturing plant outside of the United States and initially consisted of two semi-conductor wafer fabrication facilities, Fab 10 Ireland Fab Operations (IFO) and also the Fab 24 manufacturing plant which includes Fab 24-2. IFO was a 200mm wafer facility whilst Fab 24 processes 300mm wafers using 65-nanometer and 90-nanometer process technologies. IFO ceased operations and Fab 10 is now classed as Fab 24, along with Fab 14.

Fab 10 started production in 1994, and Fab 14 in 1998.[28] Fab 24 was officially opened in June 2004 by then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.[29] The new facility represented an investment of $2 billion. In April 2005, Intel announced that the one-billionth microchip had been manufactured by the Leixlip-based operation after 12 years in business.[30] Fab 24-2 was opened in June 2006 and was Intel's first plant in Europe to use the then advanced 65nm process technology.[31][32]

By August 2010, Intel Fab Operations (IFO) had become the first Intel plant to ship 2 billion die. It is also notable as the only Intel facility to achieve the ISO 14001 safety standard for its management of the local environment.

In 2019, work began on Fab 34 which was key to doubling the company's manufacturing space in Ireland and making the way for the production of Intel's 4 process technology.[33][34][35] Fab 34 officially was opened in September 2023 at a cost of €17 billion.[36][37][38][39]

Intel Shannon[edit]

In 2000, Intel opened Intel Shannon, a research facility in Shannon, County Clare, which employs approximately 250 people.[40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Intel in Ireland". intel.com.
  2. ^ "Ireland to escape most of Intel's cuts". RTE.ie. 2007-01-26. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  3. ^ "Intel and Trinity College Dublin sign first ever Partnership to Boost Innovation". Trinity College Dublin. 2015-09-16. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  4. ^ King, Ian (2022-09-21). "Intel tries to turn around the business of providing chips to data centres". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  5. ^ Culliton, Gary (28 July 1989). "EC clamp on cheap microchips - IDA confirm Intel talks". Irish Press. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  6. ^ "Intel may go to Scotland". Irish Press. 29 July 1989. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  7. ^ Culliton, Gary (6 September 1989). "Decision soon on Intel". Irish Press. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  8. ^ Hastings, Tim (4 October 1989). "Giant Intel project to employ 200 by next year". Irish Independent. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  9. ^ "Intel Ireland Ltd | Irish Legal & Business Services Company & Director Check". www.solocheck.ie. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  10. ^ "Intel's Leixlip – Permission granted for development on site". Irish Building Magazine. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  11. ^ "Intel partners with the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities - TCPID - Trinity College Dublin". www.tcd.ie. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  12. ^ "Intel Leixlip". intel.com. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  13. ^ "Intel move on Tuesday". Irish Press. 30 September 1989. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  14. ^ Flynn, Gerald (14 October 1989). "SIPTU seeks deal with Intel". Irish Press. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  15. ^ "Planning applications". Irish Independent. 5 October 1989. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  16. ^ Culliton, Gary (4 October 1989). "Intel investment may cost a total of £550m". Irish Press. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  17. ^ "Intel - Building the Irish Team". Sunday Independent. 5 November 1989. p. 23. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  18. ^ "Intel Ireland Annual Environmental Report 2009" (PDF). Intel Ireland. 2009. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  19. ^ Culliton, Gary (26 January 1990). "Intel move to create 2,000 more jobs". Irish Press. p. 18. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  20. ^ Aughney, Jim (26 January 1990). "Laying of the foundation stone". Irish Independent. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  21. ^ "Intel sales speed up Leixlip 'fab' plant". Irish Independent. 8 June 1990. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  22. ^ "INTEL begins second phase". Nationalist and Leinster Times. pp. 15 June 1990. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  23. ^ "An Introduction from Eamonn Sinnott". intel.com. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  24. ^ "£100m Intel contract". Belfast Newsletter. 18 April 1991. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  25. ^ "Jacobs International Ltd - Irish Company Info - SoloCheck". www.solocheck.ie. Retrieved 2023-12-15.[failed verification]
  26. ^ Lattimore, John (11 March 1992). "Amstrad deal boost for Intel". Irish Press. p. 17. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  27. ^ Aughney, Jim (13 October 1993). "Hefty bonus on cards for Irish staff as Intel booms". Irish Independent. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-12-15 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  28. ^ "List of semiconductor fabrication plants", Wikipedia, 15 December 2023, retrieved 2023-12-16
  29. ^ "Intel opens new Leixlip facility". Irish Independent. 1 July 2004. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-12-16 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  30. ^ Skelly, Brian (14 April 2005). "Intel's Irish operations remain on track". Irish Independent. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-12-16 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
  31. ^ "Intel opens $2bn Fab 24 -2 plant". Independent.ie. 2006-06-22. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  32. ^ O'Mahony, Brian (2006-06-23). "Intel commitment proves Ireland still a good place to do business, says Ahern". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  33. ^ "Ireland Milestone: First Tool Roll-in at Fab 34". intel.com (Press release). Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  34. ^ "Fab 34 reaches important Intel 4 milestone". intel.com (Press release). Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  35. ^ "What is Intel 4? Meteor Lake's technology explained". Trusted Reviews. 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  36. ^ "Intel opens €17bn manufacturing expansion in Kildare". Independent.ie. 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  37. ^ "New advanced chip facility in Leixlip will put Ireland at centre of AI revolution, says Intel chief". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  38. ^ "Intel completes final stage of testing at its new €17bn Fab 34 plant in Leixlip". The Irish Times. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  39. ^ "Inside Intel's new €17bn Leixlip plant – Tethered robot droids like something from Star Wars working in one of the cleanest places on the planet". www.independent.ie. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  40. ^ "Intel Shannon". intel.com. Retrieved 2023-12-16.

External links[edit]