AMD invests US$135 million in strategic research and development in Ireland. European investment is significant, but nothing compared to Intel’s plans.

AMD will invest US$135 million in research and development in Ireland over four years. With the investment, the chip specialist creates space for 290 engineers and researchers as well as support staff. AMD proudly announced the plan in Dublin.

“By continuing to invest and expand our footprint in Dublin and Cork, we are committed to continuing to innovate in Ireland and support the European semiconductor ecosystem,” said Ruth Cotter, Director of Marketing, Human Resources and Communications of the plans.

Good for Europe

The investment is welcome in Europe, which is actively trying to play a more prominent role in microchip production. During the Corona crisis, its strategic importance became painfully clear, as did the fact that almost the entire supply chain is located in South Asia.

FPGA specialist Xilinx, now owned by AMD, also invested in Ireland prior to the takeover. In 2017, Xilinx announced a $40 million investment in its research and development footprint in the country.

Intel does more

While the investment isn’t small, it’s nothing compared to competitor Intel’s plans. Unlike AMD, Intel controls not only the design but also the production of microchips. For this production, Intel plans a new factory in Magdeburg, Germany, which corresponds to an investment of around 30 billion dollars. Intel is also dropping $4.6 billion for a new location in Poland.