The Taoiseach's interest in indigenous, renewable gas as an alternative to imported fossil fuels is real. But his interest in powering Intel's latest multi-billion-euro investment yielded more funding, faster.
When the Government was re-elected, the semiconductor multinational was in crisis. But intense lobbying since then has meant that when Intel became ready for a €5bn investment, so was Ireland.
The chip maker can get its mojo back, but it must overcome technical challenges that have dogged it in the past, writes Asa Fitch, The Wall Street Journal.
After months of riding positive vibes, the troubled chip maker reminded investors why it needed a rescue in the first place, write Sean McLain and Robbie Whelan, The Wall Street Journal.
The Dutch firm builds printing machines for making high-tech chips and serves Intel in Leixlip. It and companies like Applied Materials have built Irish bases that hinge on the US chipmaker.
A €30 billion fab could put Ireland on the semiconductor map — but with no diplomatic ties to Taiwan and fierce global competition, the Government's grand ambition to be a European semiconductor superpower is one of its most challenging strategic tests in recent times.
With job cuts looming and production underutilised, Intel’s Irish operations face mounting pressure amid global market decline and leadership reshuffles.
Intel’s new CEO Lip-Bu Tan said jobs cuts are coming and the rumoured figure is 20 per cent of headcount. Leixlip and its 5,000-strong workforce will surely be in the line of fire.
Since Intel opened its doors in Leixlip in the late 1980s, an ecosystem of international chip companies has bloomed in the country, booking significant revenue through Ireland.
Intel is one of the firms on which Ireland's FDI-driven economic model has been built upon. However, with its stock price under siege and rivals circling the US tech giant, what does the future hold in store for Intel's vast Irish operation?
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