Intel commits €5 billion to expand Leixlip chip plant in Ireland

Intel announced a €5 billion capital investment to upgrade its Leixlip semiconductor campus in County Kildare, Ireland. The upgrade will modernise existing fab facilities, install cutting‑edge manufacturing equipment and expand the automated track system to increase output of Intel Xeon 6 processors and the next‑generation Xeon family built on the Intel 3 process. The expansion is aimed at meeting the surge in global demand for artificial‑intelligence and high‑performance‑computing workloads.

The project is expected to create several hundred full‑time, highly‑skilled positions and generate thousands of construction jobs, bringing the total workforce at the Irish site to around 5,000. Intel plans to complete the majority of the investment by the end of 2027, representing roughly 30 % of its projected €17 billion capex for 2026. The €5 billion spend brings Intel’s cumulative investment in Ireland since 1989 to more than €30 billion, reinforcing the country’s role as a European chip‑making hub and supporting EU tech‑sovereignty goals.

Executive Vice President Naga Chandrasekaran said, “This investment represents a definitive commitment to maximise capacity at our Leixlip campus and increase what we can deliver to Intel Foundry customers.” Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the funding as a “powerful vote of confidence” in Ireland’s skilled workforce and its position at the heart of Europe’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem.