Saxony's Minister Urges Swift Action Ahead of Chip Factory Opening

A few days before the opening of Infineon’s new chip factory in Dresden, Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Dirk Panter (SPD), called for faster approval procedures for investments in the semiconductor industry. Europe must become more competitive in terms of its framework conditions, the minister explained on the occasion of the upcoming launch of the so-called Smart Power Fab.

Criticism of lengthy EU procedures

“The Chips Act 2.0 is both an opportunity and a reality check. If Saxony can build in just over three years, Brussels shouldn’t need a year and a half beforehand just for the review,” said Panter. Especially in the key industries of the 21st century, the EU must speed up approval procedures in order to hold its own in international competition with the U.S. and Asian countries.

Opening on Thursday

The Smart Power Fab is set to officially open on Thursday. According to Infineon, it is the largest single investment in the company’s history. With an investment volume of around five billion euros, production capacity at the Dresden site is set to double. About 1,000 new jobs are expected to be created.

Minister Sees Milestone for Europe

Panter described the plant as an important building block of the European Chips Act. The minister said the new factory will strengthen supply security and expand Europe’s technological sovereignty. He noted that the Smart Power Fab is the most modern and flexible semiconductor factory in the world and can manufacture and directly test chips that are in particularly high demand for power management and integrated circuits.