Vishay to invest millions in its Newport Wafer Fab
Vishay Intertechnology is investing GBP 51 million (EUR 61.2 million) in Newport Wafer Fab, the UK’s largest semiconductor facility – to bring new product range capabilities and skilled job opportunities to Newport.
The Welsh Government states in a press release that the investment is supported by GBP 5 million (EUR 6 million) in Government financing. This is the latest in a line of positive developments for the South Wales compound semiconductor cluster.
For example, US capital equipment company KLA is building its new European headquarters at Imperial Park, Newport. With Welsh Government investment in the site's grid infrastructure, the 215,000-square-foot, USD 100-million development will create a new innovation centre and manufacturing facility, complete with cleanrooms for R&D and manufacturing. Recruitment of up to 750 people has already begun.
And Centre 7, a facility backed by the Welsh Government as part of its International Strategy, is already drawing inward, with Microlink Devices and CS Connected being the first tenants at the 51,000-square-foot Cardiff Gate location.
“Compound semiconductors are all around us – in our homes and in our phones, our trains and our turbines. They are a vital, if miniature, piece of what makes the modern world tick, with extremely strong global growth projections. And we in Wales are increasingly a world-leading nation in their production and manufacture," says Welsh Government Economy, Energy and Planning Cabinet Secretary, Rebecca Evans in the press release. “Today that is more evident than ever, with our international reputation attracting significant inward investment, the provision and occupation of state-of-the-art facilities, clear links with R&D and well-paid opportunities for employment and apprenticeships."
It was back in March 2024 that Vishay acquired the Newport Wafer Fab. Vishay said that the transaction would not only secure but also increase the number of jobs at the Newport Wafer Fab, working closely with the local community.
On its local website for the Newport Wafer Fab, Vishay says that it wants to: "expand the site to enable new research and development and bring new technologies to market such as compound semiconductor power conversion."
