On the 29th, auto parts supplier Bosch announced that it will invest another 400 million euros in 2022 to expand the production capacity of its fabs in Dresden and Reutlingen, Germany, and establish a semiconductor testing center in Penang, Malaysia. Most of the money will be used to accelerate the expansion of the 12-inch wafer fab in Dresden. As the world’s largest supplier of auto parts, the company hopes to increase chip production and solve global chip shortages.
Bosch Chairman Volkmar Denner said that demand for automotive chips continues to grow at an alarming rate. Based on the current shortage of cores, Bosch is gradually expanding its chip production capacity to provide customers with the best support.
The Bosch plant in Dresden was put into operation in June this year, with a total investment of US$1.17 billion. Earlier this year, Bosch also expanded its Reutlingen plant near Stuttgart, which occupies 377,000 square feet.
It is reported that Bosch will invest 50 million euros in the 8-inch wafer fab in Reutlingen in the next year, and will invest 150 million euros in the plant during 2021-2023 to expand the clean room space. The first phase expansion of the plant is about 10%, mainly based on the increase in demand for MEMS sensors and silicon carbide power semiconductors. The chip test center in Penang plans to start testing chips and sensor products in 2023. The initial area of the test center is about 150,000 square feet, and the test facility will be constructed in phases. (Proofreading/Stan)
