Project Bulletin: March 18, 2024

AstraZeneca’s reinvestment in Wuxi, China, reflects company trust in the region’s capabilities.

Photo courtesy of AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca plans to build upon its operations in China’s Jiangsu province with a $475 million investment. At a site in Wuxi it’s operated for more than 30 years. the company will introduce a new small molecule drug facility that will service patients not only in China but around the world. AstraZeneca plans for this facility to be a zero-carbon factory featuring cutting-edge technology for manufacturing and packaging practices. The company, which represents a vital part of Wuxi’s biopharmaceutical industry, noted that the city’s rapid growth and advancement of technological innovation inspired confidence in making the investment. The new addition adds to the company’s strong presence in the city, where AstraZeneca houses production, distribution, sales and its innovation headquarters.

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Silicon Box brings semiconductor “chiplet” manufacturing to northern Italy, marking a first for the company and the region.

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While a final site decision remains up in the air, semiconductor firm Silicon Box has committed up to $3.6 billion to construct a new manufacturing facility in northern Italy. This move will be the first global expansion move for the Singapore-based company, which chose Italy based on its infrastructure, talent, government support and overall business environment. Semiconductors produced by the company differ from traditional chips by manufacturing individual system modality “chiplets” that then integrate separate functionalities into a system through advanced packaging, creating a system-in-package. “We are excited to bring Italy to the forefront of chiplet deployment and the semiconductor industry through this investment into the world’s most advanced packaging solution,” said Silicon Box Co-founder Dr. Sehat Sutardja. “It will enhance competitive strengths in design, artificial intelligence, large language models, electronic vehicles and automotive, mobile, wearables, smart consumer, edge computing, and material sciences of the Italian ecosystem, and revolutionize Europe’s position in the global supply chain.” The project is anticipated to create 1,600 new direct jobs by 2028.

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The new Tamil Nadu location join’s Tata’s India portfolio alongside locations in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar, Lucknow, Sanand, Dharwad and Pune.

Photo courtesy of Tata Motors

Tata Motors Group, the $42 billion organization that’s part of the $150 billion Tata Group, intends to build its seventh manufacturing facility in India, this time landing in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The $1 billion project announcement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the automaker and the state last week to “explore the setting-up of a vehicle manufacturing facility.” The project is anticipated to create 5,000 new indirect and direct jobs upon completion. It is currently unknown when the project will begin construction or what Tata plans to manufacture here from its lineup of passenger, commercial vehicle and electric vehicle options.

Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore, edited by Adam Bruns