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Update

What changed

Bloomberg’s account adds that the planned factories are expected to make 300mm wafers for automotive, industrial, data-centre and communications markets. That gives a clearer picture of the sectors the new capacity is meant to serve, beyond the scale of the investment.

The report also says GlobalFoundries is reallocating existing US CHIPS Act funding towards other initiatives, including advanced packaging and photonics. The new plants are therefore only part of the company’s wider US manufacturing plans.

Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with operations projected to start in 2029, according to Bloomberg. Those are targets, not guarantees, but they give the investment a clearer timetable. Should public chip funding prioritise new fabrication plants, or capabilities such as advanced packaging and photonics?

Sources and evidence

• GlobalFoundries Gets $21 Billion to Run Plants in US-Japan Deal: Bloomberg reports that GlobalFoundries’ planned 300mm wafer plants are intended to serve automotive, industrial, data-centre and communications markets; that existing US CHIPS Act funding is being redirected towards initiatives including advanced packaging and photonics; and that construction is expected to begin in 2026, with operations projected for 2029.

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