The US chip manufacturer Intel has announced that the construction of its chip factory in Magdeburg will be postponed by two years. Originally, the ground-breaking ceremony was to take place this year, with production expected to start around 2027. This affects not only the planned 3,000 jobs, but also the approximately 30 billion euros that were to be invested in the project. The question now is what to do with the state subsidies of almost 10 billion euros that the German government had provided for this project.
The decision to delay construction was announced by Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. The company is currently struggling with financial losses and has initiated an extensive cost-cutting program, which includes the reduction of 15,000 jobs worldwide. In addition to Magdeburg, this also affects a planned plant in Poland.
This development not only calls into question the issue of state support, but also the objectives of the EU Chips Act, which was intended to secure Europe's technological sovereignty in the field of semiconductor production. Frank Bösenberg, Managing Director of the Silicon Saxony network, believes that the European chip strategy is at risk: "Without Intel in Magdeburg, the lighthouse project in Europe is missing for the time being. The goals of the EU Chip Act will not be achieved. Neither a European market share of 20 percent nor the desired technological sovereignty through semiconductor production below 10 nanometres seem realistically achievable by 2030 from today's perspective."
