Intel and Spain team up to open a microchip design lab in Barcelona

A key investment to tackle the world’s shortage of microelectronics

At the end of last week, Intel and the Spanish Government announced plans for the American tech company to open a microchip design laboratory in Barcelona. This starship project will count on equal parts financial investments from both sides to the tune of 400 million euros spread in instalments over a decade.

The opening of the microprocessor laboratory is considered a key investment for the future of the country's economy. Beyond generating technology and attracting highly qualified talent in Barcelona, ​​the arrival of a centre of this magnitude in Spain contributes to reducing foreign dependence on microchips, key technological elements for the future of the industry.

Plans for a Spanish microchip factory – also in the works

The Catalonian daily La Vanguardia reported that the Generalitat regional government is also supporting the initiative. The main partner on the ground, however, will be the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre – National Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), a public consortium, which will grant its facilities so that the microchip laboratory can have a suitable home.

The laboratory will initially hire 300 workers with the expectation that the team will grow into the future.

The Intel microchip lab is a star project and is also one of the first steps of a larger strategy that the Spanish government has decided to invest in in order to turn the country into a pioneer in leading Europe’s independence in the microelectronics and semiconductors field. For this purpose, the authorities have set aside a budget of 12.25 billion euros until 2027 through the so-called PERTE Chip strategic project.

The Government is also promoting an initiative to install a microchip factory in Spain. The project, which is part of the deployment of the PERTE, is still in its initial phase. 

“We still do not know the location of the factory or the company that will be installed in Spain. But there is an intention to capture this investment,” said Mateo Valero, director of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, as quoted by La Vanguardia.