In a major announcement, Silicon Box, a semiconductor company based in Singapore, has selected Novara in Piedmont as the location for its new chip factory. The investment represents an impressive €3.2 billion and is expected to create 1,600 skilled jobs. It marks the establishment of the first chiplet factory in Europe and has brought Italy’s total investment in microelectronics to over €9 billion this year.
The Italian government is focused on encouraging major investments in manufacturing areas where it has existing competitive advantages, such as power electronics. However, the European Union is still considering providing state financing for part of the investment. Other significant foreign investments have also been made in Italy, including Aiktron from Germany and SiPearl from France, which have helped position Italy as one of the largest producers of microchips in Europe.
Italy is making efforts to strengthen its advanced industrial research capabilities and promote cooperation on chip-related issues. Its participation in the G7 presidency reflects these efforts. Additionally, centers such as the Chip Foundation in Pavia and the Artificial Intelligence Foundation in Turin have been established to support research, innovation and technology transfer within Italy. Smaller investments by foreign companies like SiPearl and Aiktron further support this strategy. Overall, these developments are paving the way for Italy to become a key manufacturing center for microelectronics both domestically and globally.