Electronics manufacturer TSMC will build its second U.S. manufacturing facility in Arizona and create more than 1,600 high-tech jobs in the coming years.
The Taiwanese semiconductor company last week announced plans to invest $12 billion in the project between 2021 and 2029; construction is slated to begin next year with production targeted for 2024.
“This U.S. facility not only enables us to better support our customers and partners, it also gives us more opportunities to attract global talents,” company officials said in a statement.
TSMC said the new facility would feature a production capacity of 20,000 semiconductor wafers per month, and that thousands of indirect jobs would also likely be created nearby.
The announcement comes amid concerns about vital U.S. supply chains that were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic — particularly the reliance of the domestic tech sector on companies from Taiwan.
TSMC said in the announcement that the factory represents a critical strategic step to ensure U.S. companies could “fabricate their cutting-edge semiconductor products within the United States.” The company added that the federal government and Arizona officials had committed to supporting the project.
TSMC’s current U.S. manufacturing facility is in the Portland suburb of Camas, Washington; it also operates design facilities in San Jose, California, and Austin, Texas.