Micron to create 1,600 jobs with new Singapore wafer manufacturing facility under US$24 billion investment plan

SINGAPORE: American memory chip maker Micron Technology on Tuesday (Jan 27) broke ground on an advanced wafer fabrication facility that will be Singapore’s first double-storey wafer manufacturing fab.

The facility will be located within the company’s existing NAND manufacturing complex in the north of Singapore, and represents a planned investment of around US$24 billion over 10 years.

Around 700,000 sq ft of cleanroom space will be available in the facility, and output is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2028.

The advanced wafer fabrication facility investment is set to create around 1,600 jobs, on top of the previously announced 1,400 jobs from the high-bandwidth memory advanced packaging facility.

Micron said the jobs will focus on fab engineering and operations, integrating AI, advanced robotics and smart manufacturing technologies to enhance efficiency and innovation.

The high-bandwidth memory advanced packaging facility is on track to contribute to supply in 2027, the company added.

"As HBM becomes a part of Micron’s Singapore manufacturing footprint, the company expects opportunities for synergies between NAND and DRAM production," Micron said in a press release, adding that it will maintain flexibility in managing the pace of capacity changes to align with market demand.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry Beh Swan Gin attended the groundbreaking ceremony. 

Mr Gan said the investment anchors Singapore's role in advanced NAND flash memory manufacturing. 

He noted that artificial intelligence and automation will drive operational efficiency at the fabrication plant.

"By anchoring advanced 3D NAND manufacturing here, this facility strengthens Singapore's leadership in NAND flash memory, and reinforces our role as a reliable, high-quality production node in the global semiconductor and AI supply chains."

Managing director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) Jermaine Loy and chief executive officer of JTC Corporation Jacqueline Poh were also in attendance.

Mr Loy of EDB said the expansion will strengthen Singapore's semiconductor ecosystem and anchor Singapore as a "critical node" in the supply chain.

Singapore accounts for 1 in 10 chips and one-fifth of global semiconductor equipment production, with the semiconductor industry contributing close to 7 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product and employing more than 35,000 people, EDB said.

The board said that Singapore has been successful in attracting investments from top semiconductor companies, including GlobalFoundries, Siltronic, Soitec and UMC.

"Despite the soft near-term outlook for the semiconductor industry, these companies are continuing to invest as planned to capture future semiconductor demand," EDB added.

Mr Manish Bhatia, executive vice president of global operations at Micron Technology, said the company was grateful for the support and partnership with the Singapore government.

"This investment underscores Micron's long-term commitment to Singapore as an important hub in our global manufacturing network, enhancing supply chain resiliency and fostering a vibrant ecosystem for innovation," he said.

Micron has a "strong foundation" in Singapore, and the new facility builds on this, said the company's president and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra.

"The double-storey design maximises land efficiency, while providing the cleanroom space needed for future technology transitions," he added.