A Billion-Dollar Investment Stays In-State
Last week in Texas, the Port of Brownsville received a $3.2 billion investment from Saronic Technologies as the company looks to construct the nation’s largest shipyard. Dubbed “Port Alpha,” the new shipyard will feature an advanced manufacturing facility that will support production of medium and large-class autonomous and autonomy-capable vessels. Of the reasons Austin-based Saronic selected Texas for this project — which include infrastructure readiness, land scale, logistics and expansion potential — workforce availability was vital as the company looks to fill 10,000 new positions in the region. The company plans to work alongside state and local leaders and higher education institutions to develop workforce training and apprenticeship programs to support the longevity of the state’s maritime manufacturing sector. “Built from the ground up to deliver ships at a speed and scale not seen since World War II, this investment is about more than constructing a shipyard,” said Saronic Co-founder and CEO Dino Mavrookas. “It is about rebuilding the industrial capacity, workforce and manufacturing advantage required to ensure American maritime leadership for decades to come. The state of Texas and city of Brownsville give us the foundation to turn that vision into reality.”
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TRISCO-X TO DELIVER THOUSANDS OF TENNESSEE JOBS
Advanced nuclear fuels manufacturer TRISO-X, a subsidiary of Maryland-based X-energy, is building upon its plans to establish the first purpose-built commercial TRISO fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Last week, the company announced it had received an $11 million grant from the state’s Nuclear Energy Supply Chain Investment Fund, which will support continued build-out of the initial facility (TX-1) and two new dedicated facilities at the nearby Horizon Center Industrial Park. The first will be a second, larger fuel fabrication plant that will significantly increase capacity with enhanced automation and production efficiency based on TX-1 operational experience. This facility, named “TX-2,” is anticipated to create over 1,000 direct roles. In addition, TRISO-X will construct a fuel fabrication laboratory to house activities surrounding fuel innovation, testing and improving TRISCO manufacturing processes. This news follows the company in February 2026 receiving a 40-year Special Nuclear Material License from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to support its future operations. At full buildout, TRISO-X will have cultivated one of the world’s largest commercial-scale nuclear fuel fabrication campuses. Site Selection first covered the company’s growth in Tennessee in January 2025.
Photo courtesy of Intel Corporation
ANSWERING THE CALL FOR SILICON
To prepare for Intel’s next phase of expansion in Ireland, the company has announced a $5.7 billion investment at its Leixlip manufacturing campus. The investment will allow Intel to upgrade its current fabrication facilities and introduce new manufacturing equipment at the site, which includes expanding its automated track system to integrate disparate campus models into one production environment. According to the company’s release, as global demand rises for advanced silicon, Ireland will be key to delivering the Intel Xeon 6 and next generation Intel Xeon built on its Intel 3 node. The expansion is designed to increase current production capacity while boosting Intel’s R&D activity. “By investing in our existing fabs with state-of-the-art technology and installing cutting-edge tools, we are not just increasing output of critical products like Xeon 6 and next gen Intel Xeon processors built on Intel 3, we are ensuring that Ireland remains at the forefront of the world’s most advanced manufacturing ecosystems, while strengthening the region’s role in the global technology landscape,” said Intel Foundry Executive Vice President Naga Chandrasekaran.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
