GlobalFoundries broke ground Nov. 13 on a new $10 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility in Malta, Saratoga County, part of an expansion that the governor’s office says will create more than 1,100 manufacturing jobs.
The plant is part of a $12.3 billion multiphase investment at the Luther Forest Technology Campus that also includes upgrades to existing facilities and a new Advanced Packaging and Photonics Center. New York is supporting the project with $570 million in tax credits and grants, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement.
New factory anchors a broader campus expansion
The new fabrication plant, known as Fab 8.2, will have approximately 386,000 square feet of cleanroom space. GlobalFoundries also plans to reinvest in its existing flagship manufacturing facility to accommodate next-generation chip capabilities.
The governor’s office described the new plant as the first phase of a U.S.-Japan initiative that could eventually bring investment at the campus to as much as $21 billion. That potential investment represents the broader initiative, separate from the announced cost of the new factory and the current multiphase expansion.
The expanded manufacturing capacity is intended to meet demand for U.S.-made chips used in vehicles, artificial intelligence, aerospace and other industries, the release said. Beyond the manufacturing positions, state officials expect the project to support thousands of construction and industry-related jobs in the Capital Region.
“Today, we’re putting shovels in the ground and turning an ambitious partnership into reality,” GlobalFoundries CEO Tim Breen said in the release.
Breen said the initiative brings together the United States, Japan and GlobalFoundries to expand semiconductor production and strengthen supply chains.
State incentives include workforce and infrastructure funding
New York’s support consists of $535 million in performance-based Green CHIPS tax credits and $35 million in grants for workforce development and public infrastructure improvements.
GlobalFoundries’ commitments include $60 million in direct community investments, on-site or adjacent child care for employees, a project labor agreement for construction and commitments to bring local suppliers and workers into the project, according to the governor’s office.
Hochul said the expansion would strengthen domestic supply chains and create employment opportunities. Empire State Development President and CEO Hope Knight said the investment builds on the Capital Region’s existing semiconductor industry and skilled workforce.
Malta Supervisor Cynthia Young welcomed the project as a continuation of the company’s relationship with the town. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer linked the groundbreaking to federal semiconductor incentives under the CHIPS and Science Act, saying those incentives helped make the second factory possible.
Another major semiconductor project for Upstate New York
The Malta expansion is part of a wider semiconductor investment push across New York. The governor’s office cited Micron’s planned $100 billion project in Central New York and the growth of supply-chain companies such as Edwards Vacuum in Western New York.
State officials say the GlobalFoundries project will add manufacturing capacity while expanding the network of workers and suppliers supporting domestic chip production. The release did not provide an opening date for the new factory or a timetable for filling the announced manufacturing jobs.
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