SPACEX RECEIVES SUPPORT
Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that the state would extend a $17.3 million Texas Semiconductor Fund grant toward SpaceX’s Bastrop expansion project. The $280 million semiconductor R&D and advanced packaging facility will add an extra 1 million sq. ft. to support production of Starlink kits and their component parts, which include advanced packaged silicon products. “We love Texas,” said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. “SpaceX is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into our Bastrop facility. This grant will help continue to expand Bastrop’s manufacturing for Starlink to help connect even more people across the state and around the world with high-speed, low-latency internet.” This project will be the fifth to receive grant funding from the Texas Semiconductor Fund. SpaceX anticipates the expansion will take three years to complete, creating 400 new jobs once operational. Starlink on Saturday launched its Falcon 9 spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Florida, that transported 23 more satellites into orbit.
Rendering courtesy of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
READY FOR MORE
Medical device manufacturer Fisher & Paykel Healthcare has plans to grow its East Tāmaki base in Auckland, New Zealand. Announced project details include a new 301,000-sq.-ft. facility to be constructed on the company’s campus which brings a $143 million investment. The new building will supply space for a range of operations including R&D, manufacturing and distribution. “We are excited to add this new building to complete our East Tāmaki campus,” said Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Chief Operating Officer Andy Niccol. “This project is a purposeful investment in infrastructure to ensure we have the necessary capacity and resources in New Zealand to progress our pipeline of innovative products and therapies.” Construction is slated to being in April with facility completion estimated in 2027. In addition to this project announcement, the company has stated it recently submitted a private plan change application to accommodate future growth at its campus in Karaka, located just 24 minutes away.
Photo: Getty Images
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS ON THE RISE
In order to enhance development and production of evaluation systems for photoresists used within semiconductor processes, Sumitomo Chemical will soon begin to grow its site in Osaka, Japan. These photosensitive resins are used to form circuit patterns, a vital step in semiconductor manufacturing. As the market is expected to experience further growth thanks to generative AI, advancement of IoT and an influx of data centers globally, the over $670 million investment will position the company to meet demand. “Sumitomo Chemical has implemented a series of initiatives to strengthen the photoresist business, including capacity expansion at its production plants in Japan, the establishment of new development and mass production evaluation buildings for advanced products, and the construction of new lines at its South Korean base,” said the company in its official press release. “Including this new investment in photoresists, the Company’s capital investments in the semiconductor materials field over the past several years have reached approximately $672 million.” New facilities being constructed at the Osaka site are expected to become operational by 2026.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
