San Francisco (AFP)

Intel on Tuesday announced the upcoming construction of two semiconductor factories in the United States, as a shortage of these essential electronic components is currently plaguing automakers and other industries.

The new boss of the American giant of the sector, Pat Gelsinger, presented in a press release the initial investments of 20 billion dollars for these new sites in Arizona (west) as an essential aspect of its production strategy in the United States and in Europe. .

"Intel is the only company with such a breadth of expertise in software, chips, packaging, and industrial processes (...) that customers can rely on for their innovations," said Mr. Gelsinger .

At the helm since February, the former boss of the IT group VMware has also announced the formation of a new division in the United States and Europe, called "Intel Foundry Services", that is to say a branch of services for foundries, these factories specializing in semiconductor materials.

Pat Gelsinger wants to both strengthen its own production capacities and increase the use of subcontractors, who manufacture the components necessary for Intel's computer technologies, especially for servers in data centers.

The objective is to "gain flexibility and size to optimize Intel's trajectory in terms of cost, performance, lead times and supply," the press release explains.

- National security -

The group estimates that the Arizonian project should create 3,000 permanent skilled jobs and some 15,000 local long-term jobs.

The $ 20 billion investment is "bold," commented analyst Patrick Moorhead.

"I don't believe Intel will stop there in terms of investments, especially given the needs of the American and European governments, which demand more advanced manufacturing on site," he added.

A shortage of electronic components in Asia is currently forcing automakers to slow down at their sites around the world.

Sign of the extent of the problem, US President Joe Biden signed a decree at the end of February to scrutinize the supply chains of goods deemed "essential", including semiconductors.

"Intel's announcement is a prime example of the benefits of domestic investments in semiconductor factories. We can create jobs, strengthen national security, and strengthen the safety and resilience of our supply chains," US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo reacted in a statement.

- Trust -

Intel broke its sales record in 2020 ($ 78 billion), thanks to 5G deployments and the increased needs for electronic and computer products linked to the pandemic.

But the company went through a rowdy period at the end of the year, when US billionaire Dan Loeb, whose hedge fund Third Point has a valued $ 1 billion stake in Intel, asked the company to part ways. production activities to focus on chip design.

His brilliant coup had the almost immediate effect of leading the board of directors to thank Bob Swan, 60 years old and CEO since January 2019.

Pat Gelsinger, with 30 years of experience at Intel, succeeded him.

He did not proceed with the split demanded by Dan Loeb, but promised "more agility".

At the end of January, during the presentation of the annual results, he also admitted that Intel had to "regain the confidence" of its customers in terms of supply chain.

The group has indeed suffered a significant delay in the production of its latest generation processor, more efficient.

A delay that widens the gap with its competitor AMD, whose equivalent product is already available.

© 2021 AFP