back to article Intel casts doubt on Italy for chip factory location

Intel appears to be casting doubt on previous proposals to build a chip factory in Italy, as the company plays off European countries against each other for the privilege of hosting its production facilities. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera the chipmaker …

  1. elsergiovolador Silver badge

    WEF

    That's classic WEF move to gang its members against government they don't like.

    Italy certainly has fallen out of Klaus Schwab's favour.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: WEF

      It's because their new PM is actually pro Italy not pro EU because she realizes they're mutually exclusive.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: WEF

        Think why Intel is not thinking about UK...

        1. M.V. Lipvig Silver badge

          Re: WEF

          In a few more years, after the UK gets their post-EU act together and leaps ahead of where they were, I see the UK attracting a lot of new business. I also see other EU countries questioning whether they're better off staying in or striking out on their own. And one day, I see Germany, all alone in the EU, as the only ones with money while the nations who can't make it on their own suck them dry.

          I realize a lot of Brits have no confidence in their own nation (count the downvotes to see how many,) but this American thinks the UK will be doing better than ever in the next 5 years or so. Or, would be if only the Remainders will start participating and stop cheering on a British failure.

          1. Potemkine! Silver badge

            Re: WEF

            Another example of an American who doesn't understand European matters. And no, Europe is not a country West to Mexico.

  2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Airbus much ?

    US sues Intel for receiving illegal state aid in Europe

  3. Korev Silver badge
    Joke

    Inevitable really, no one really uses pizza boxes in the datacentre any more...

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Maybe they should…

    …set up a factory to make RISC-V processors?

    Why pay a middleman?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What percentage times how many strikes in 10 years?

    Shouldn't Italy add a lot more to its mooted 40% to account for the future losses to strikes?

    What is the count of factories permanently closed down in India by strikes? Scanning automakers I see Ford, Nissan, Suzuki ...

    It ain't perfect, but scandinavian style management/union cooperation is something India should try. As it is, they are one of the countries I wouldn't touch with a one meter assembly line.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What percentage times how many strikes in 10 years?

      Sorry for you, but Italy is no longer that of 1970s. Unions, being silly run by people like Panzeri looking more for bribes than actually doing something for workers - have far less power in the private sector than years ago. The number of workers who join a union has dwindles - up to the point many of them are retired workers. The number of strikes today in the private sector is very low - even if workers' salaries in Italy actually reduced in the past twenty years compared to the increases in France and Germany.

    2. Filippo Silver badge

      Re: What percentage times how many strikes in 10 years?

      Uh, you do realize that Italy and India are two different countries, I hope?

  6. Bitsminer Silver badge

    The game

    Italy is still in the game, but so are other candidate countries.

    This is how the game is played.

  7. Professor_Iron

    Can anyone enlighten me why Italy is so desperate about an Intel packaging plant? Italy has it's own chip manufacturer, the government has a substantial share in STMicro along with the French. Sure, STMicro's tech is lightyears behind Intel's, but it's not about jump-starting a wholly new industry in the country, packaging is pretty much the lower end of the value chain.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      why Italy is so desperate about an Intel packaging plant?

      Some jobs that government can sell as a "success". Especially since the initial plan was to have as usual the plant in Southern Italy (where it can ensure a lot of votes), but Intell looks to have not bought it and selected another location. Most people have no idea what a packaging plant or a foundry is - even newspaper sold it as a "very high tech" plant just because it has the Intel logo - without understanding what it would do really.

      And as usual - the high value installations - went to Germany and France.

      1. Cliffwilliams44 Bronze badge

        Re: why Italy is so desperate about an Intel packaging plant?

        Southern Italy? Well, that's nice, considering Souther Italy isone of several places where the next Super Volcano just might go off!

        Just saying!

  8. David Pearce

    Packaging and test requires cheap labour, which is why Malaysia and the Philippines have so much.

    Italy is an unsuitable candidate for the fabs as it is prone to earthquakes and the odd volcano, plus short of water

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "Italy is an unsuitable candidate for the fabs as it is prone to earthquakes and the odd volcano"

      Italy is a bit larger than you think - there are no volcanoes north of Naples, nor all the territory is seismic (i.e. the area between Turin and Milan has a very low seismic risk). There are lso the same mountains where France and Germany rivers comes from.

      Why have fabs in Arizona, New Mexico or Texas then? Doesn't look to me places with a lot of water. Even Israel is not exactly a water-rich area.

      It's funny how many people abroad still think Italy is only that from Rome southwards.

    2. Filippo Silver badge

      This might surprise tourists, but Italy actually makes most of its money from industry, by far. There are plenty of places with zero or very little seismic risk, and water is only rarely an issue. Alas, we even have cheap labour, at least compared to France or Germany... if I had to guess, I'd put Intel's reservations down to worries about sketchy legislation and political shenanigans. Can't blame them there.

  9. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

    Don't get it

    Excuse my ignorance here, but why would a packaging plant be so far from the chip factory that will supply it with things to, you know, package?

    From perspectives of logistics, security, convenience, time, reduction of breakages in transit, surely it makes far more sense to site them next door to each other.

    I guess they might package other manufacturers' chips, so it might make sense for an independent packager. But this is an Intel packaging plant and an Intel foundry. Why separate them at all?

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    But I thought

    But I thought Brandon just spent 50 billion to bring chip manufacturing back to America.

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