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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowState and local officials broke ground Monday morning on an $84 million microelectronics campus at WestGate@Crane Technology Park in Odon, about 90 miles southwest of Indianapolis.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says the WestGate One campus will accelerate the re-shoring of semiconductor research and manufacturing in the U.S. The campus has already secured commitments from four semiconductor companies that plan to invest a total of $300 million in Indiana and create nearly 550 jobs.
The 10-acre campus is being supported with up to $10 million in matching funds from the Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI. The location is part of the Indiana Uplands region, which received $30 million in READI funding last December.
“Today’s announcement is the result of tremendous collaboration among many local, regional and state partners over the past decade,” Joe Carley, interim CEO of the non-for-profit Uplands Science and Technology Foundation, said in a media release. “With the rise of our region’s defense sector and NSWC Crane as a national leader in emerging technologies, Indiana Uplands is growing as a vibrant hub for high-tech innovation.”
Illinois-based NHanced Semiconductors plans to invest more than $236 million to build and equip a 100,000-square-foot fabrication facility it says will be the first built specifically for advanced packaging.
The company says it will create up to 413 jobs by the end of 2028, and the positions should offer average salaries higher than 250% of the Daviess County average.
NHanced Semiconductors plans to move into the space in mid-2024. Any remaining space in the building will be leased to other industry companies.
Arizona-based Everspin Technologies says it will establish a 10,000-square-foot fabrication and research-and-development facility on the campus, and create up to 35 high-wage jobs by the end of 2027.
The company says the facility will allow it to increase production and fulfillment of discrete and embedded Magnetoresistive RAM, or MRAM, which it describes as critical to next-generation defense applications.
Construction is slated to begin next year.
Minnesota-based Trusted Semiconductor Solutions plans to invest more than $34 million to lease and equip a 10,000-square-foot space at WestGate One and create up to 40 jobs by the end of 2027.
The facility will be used to expand TSS’ ability to design and deliver integrated circuits, radiation-hardened products, and electronic systems for the military and defense, space and industrial markets.
TSS plans to begin operations in mid-2023.
Lastly, Tennessee-based Reliable MicroSystems, which provides radiation effects modeling for large contractors, says it will invest $7.3 million to expand to Indiana. The company expects to begin operations next year and plans to add 61 jobs.
“Indiana’s has a rich tradition of advanced manufacturing that continues to push new technologies and innovations forward,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said. “Today’s announcements solidify our Semiconductor Corridor strategy. With a growing microelectronics and CHIP industry, Indiana will be at the forefront of creating critical components to ensure both economic and national security.”
The IEDC plans to commit up to $11 million in conditional tax credits and training grants for NHanced Semiconductors, which the company will not be eligible to claim until Hoosier workers are hired for the new jobs. Additionally, the IEDC says it will commit up to $10 million in redevelopment tax credits for the project.
The IEDC also plans to commit up to nearly $1.5 million for Everspin Technologies, up to nearly $1.9 million for Reliable MicroSystems, and up to nearly $1.6 million for TSS.
The incentives must still be approved by the IEDC Board of Directors.
The WestGate One project is the latest in a series of announcements this year related to semiconductor production in Indiana.
In May, the IEDC announced the launch of the Accelerating Microelectronics Production & Development (AMPD) task force as part of the inaugural Indiana Global Economic Summit.
The following month, Taiwan-based MediaTek detailed plans to establish a chip design center at the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in Purdue University’s Discovery Park District.
In July, Minnesota-based SkyWater Technology said it would build a $1.8 billion, 600,000-square-foot semiconductor R&D and production facility in West Lafayette, and create 750 jobs over five years.
The growth in semiconductor production in Indiana follows the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which was spearheaded by U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana.
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This article gives Todd Young credit for “spearheading” the CHIPS Act. While he voted for it (to his credit), the bill was advanced by President Biden and Democrats in Congress and was passed with only 14 of 50 Republican Senators voting for it. Once again, IBJ gives credit to Indiana Republicans for tapping into federal programs without mentioning that many of those programs exist only because Democrats got them passed over staunch Republican opposition.
Glen K.
Agreed, I lean with the Republicans and usually thoroughly disagree with the
Dems. But bringing the semiconductor manufacturing to the U.S.
is a very wise & prudent move.
Where I disagree is with the government stepping in to set 10 high tech
research development zones. A city like Indianapolis is trying very hard to
establish itself as a tech hub or Center. If the givers chooses the ten locations
Indianapolis probably will be left out.
It should be the private sector that chooses.
Second, why isn’t Indianapolis attracting any of these semi conductor and other
high tech plants. Indianapolis is not attracting anything.
This current semi conductor plant is going to southwest Indiana. It’s not
near any cities of size to draw a work force from.
**What’s the one thing we hear all the time. Tech companies want to go to cities
with high quality of life standards and a growing population. I’m thinking Indy
would meet that criteria over Odon very easily.
Why isn’t Indy drawing any corporations to our downtown or to our city period.
Is it because we don’t market ourselves as aggressively as other cities???
KeithB Good question about Indy. I’ve lived here most of the past 40 years and I think the city has lost its mojo. I’m not saying it necessarily is going downhill but city leaders seem to have lost the vision of people like Bill Hudnut and David Frick, etc. I’m a Democrat but I think the Republicans of the Hudnut-Lugar era were very good for Indy. But those kind of Republicans (and Democrats) seem to be in short supply and the General Assembly seems more interested in punishing Indy than helping it. As for the Crane site, I also agree about the issue of finding qualified workers at such a remote site. I just think the state is flailing around trying to play catch-up with an out-of-date playbook and a General Assembly more interested in social issues than truly addressing the quality of life shortcomings that are hindering investment in our state. And as long as Republicans have a supermajority there will be no incentive to listen to countervailing voices. And no matter one’s political persuasion, that is not a good thing.
Glen K.
Agreed with everything you said. Everything!
I have lived in Indy for almost 40 years also. When I moved here Indianapolis
was really on the move. Absolutely moving forward.
As you pointed out, the era of Hudnut, Frick. Welch, and other city leaders was special. These men put aside differences and worked together to further a vision for a better Indianapolis. I think that fateful plane crash killing these city
visionaries and Hudnut’s retirement was a major set back for Indianapolis development. A set back that has NEVER been replaced.
We need a new group of city leaders to step up as the previous generation of leaders did and work together and put forth a vision for Indianapolis.
As you said Indianapolis has lost its mojo. The sad part is that corporate city
leaders are not stepping up to fill that void. We are relying to much on government bureaucracies to fill that void, which will not work.