They’re tiny, they rule the world: microchips. The government wants to promote a new microchip cluster in Styria. 26,500 new jobs must be created.
Hardly anyone registers them, but without microchips very little works in everyday life. Each of us deals with 1,000 microchips a day alone. As a result, half of the world’s economic output depends directly or indirectly on the semiconductor industry. Just one of the reasons why there was a microchip summit in the Federal Chancellery recently.
Seven billion must be invested by 2030
The microchip industry wants to invest nearly seven billion in Austria by 2030. But what was not known until now: The south of Austria in particular should benefit from the billion-dollar investment – especially Styria. The Autocluster was founded about 30 years ago. A microchip cluster must now be created based on this model.
Graphics: Turbo Microchips
26,500 jobs must be created
The TU in Graz is also participating – microchip designs are already being developed here. Non-university research facilities at Montanuni in Leoben also specialize in microchips. “This is probably the largest locational political project we have ever had – and is of enormous importance, especially for Styria and Carinthia,” said Florian Tursky, State Secretary for Digitization. Austria is already the fourth largest semiconductor producer in the EU and ranks first in terms of value added per capita. The Infineon factory in Villach alone produces 9.4 billion microchips. With the cluster you want to be in first place within the EU. 26,500 new jobs will be created, mainly in Styria and Carinthia.
To reduce the dependence on Taiwan in the microchip industry, the European Chip Law has been created. This should increase the EU’s world market share in chip production from ten to twenty percent. EUR 3.3 billion comes directly from the EU budget, the rest must be collected by the countries themselves.
Semiconductors provide high energy savings
The Greens are also interested in this plan. Up to 75 percent energy savings can be achieved with a notebook that uses semiconductors. “Once all parameters of the European Chip Law are clear, targeted research and corporate funding will be provided to the industry under the European Chip Law for the next budget,” says Tursky, who defines the plan.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
