Intel will locate a pioneering high-performance computing laboratory in Barcelona

Intel once again trusts the Barcelona Supercomputing Center - National Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS). The American manufacturer will install a pioneering laboratory in the city that will boost high-performance computing (HPC), framed within an ambitious investment plan by the company to develop the semiconductor value chain across Europe. "It's a great challenge that we undertake with great enthusiasm and responsibility," they state from the scientific infrastructure. The project is expected to start with the creation of about 300 jobs and an investment of 400 million euros. The outlay will be distributed over the next ten years, with 40 million annually, shared between Intel and the Government.

The new investment for Barcelona was announced by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, after meeting with Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, at the Davos economic forum. Sánchez also met with other executives from companies in the sector, such as Micron, Qualcomm, and Cisco.

Precisely, this same Tuesday, the PERTE to boost the chip industry in Spain was approved. With the backing of European funds, the Executive will allocate 12,250 million euros to develop the chip value chain, from research and design to manufacturing. "We aspire to create a solid ecosystem for the future of computing in Europe and attract large investments in semiconductors," Sánchez explained. Intel's laboratory in the Catalan capital has been the first to materialize.

This will not be the first time that the BSC will collaborate with Intel. The Barcelona infrastructure hosts the Intel and BSC Exascale Laboratory, dedicated to researching exascale computing, with a very high computing capacity. This research and development (R&D) laboratory began operating in November 2011. For the first deputy mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, Intel's new commitment to the city consolidates it "as one of the digital capitals of the world and reforms the transformation towards a knowledge-based economy." Beyond Intel's presence at the BSC, the company operates in Spain from its headquarters in Madrid.

An investment of up to 80,000 million in the EU

Intel presented in mid-March its plans to invest up to 80,000 million euros over the next decade in the European Union to develop the semiconductor value chain, from research and development to manufacturing and the most advanced packaging technologies. The California-based multinational aims with this plan to balance global production and create a new generation European chip ecosystem, betting on expanding its manufacturing capabilities in Europe.

The main course of this package has been taken by Germany with the construction of a semiconductor manufacturing mega-factory in Magdeburg, with a planned outlay of 17,000 million euros and the creation of 3,000 permanent jobs. Intel has also expanded its investment in Ireland, allocating an additional 12,000 million euros and doubling manufacturing space. In Italy, they will also invest to build a new factory. In strengthening European semiconductor production alone, the multinational will allocate more than 33,000 million euros.

The California-based multinational aims with this plan to balance global production and create a new generation European chip ecosystem

"R&D and design are fundamental to advancing the manufacturing of cutting-edge semiconductors. Europe is home to world-class universities, research institutes, and leading chip designers and suppliers. Supporting this innovation cluster with additional R&D investments and linking them to Intel's manufacturing plans will boost the innovation circle in Europe, including providing small and medium-sized enterprises with better access to cutting-edge technologies," the American company stated.