Intel has completed a key stage of testing at its new Fab 34 facility, which allows it to move towards full production later this year

Intel has completed a crucial late stage of testing at its new Fab 34 facility in Leixlip. This now allows it to move towards beginning full production at the site before the end of this year.

Intel said Fab 34 had begun running its “first full loop” of silicon, which means the silicon wafers have gone from start to finish through consecutive steps in the cleanroom.

“This is a key step in the preparation toward ramping full production silicon,” the company said. “Fab 34 is excited to take one step closer to delivering Intel 4 products to our customers.”

Work on Fab 34 began in 2019 and involved an investment of €17 billion. The new facility has resulted in 1,600 permanent new roles being created by Intel here and doubles the tech giant’s manufacturing space in Ireland. It is the company’s first high-volume manufacturing location for Intel 4 products.

The processing chips produced at the new facility will be used in laptops and desktop computers used by consumers and businesses.

Since 1989, Intel has invested more than €30 billion in Leixlip, creating what it describes as “the most advanced industrial campus in Europe”. Intel has 4,900 employees across Ireland.

Earlier this year, pay cuts for senior staff and a salary freeze for some other staff were announced by Intel Ireland as part of cost-cutting measures. The company also confirmed a small number of compulsory redundancies at its Irish hub.

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