Silicon Box welcomes European Commission approval of €1.3 billion Italian State aid measure to support new advanced packaging facility in Novara

ROME, Italy -- December 19, 2024 - Silicon Box, a global leader in advanced semiconductor packaging and system integration, welcomes the European Commission's approval of approximately €1.3 billion for its new manufacturing facility in Italy. The project, representing a total investment of €3.2 billion, will create 1,600 high-skilled jobs and establish Europe's most advanced semiconductor packaging facilities. 

The investment supports the EU's strategic goal to produce 20% of the world's semiconductors by 2030 and marks Silicon Box's first expansion beyond Singapore. With its proprietary large format panel-level process lines, the factory can scale up the packaging of chips 6 to 8 times more than traditional wafer-level packaging.  

"This strategic investment in Italy represents a pivotal moment in Europe's semiconductor renaissance," says Dr. Byung Joon Han, Chief Executive Officer of Silicon Box. "By bringing our advanced packaging technologies to the heart of Europe, we're not just expanding our global footprint – we're creating a cornerstone of the EU's semiconductor ecosystem that will serve critical sectors from automotive to artificial intelligence."  

Project Details and Timeline 

The new first-of-its-kind advanced manufacturing facility in Novara will feature: 

  • Panel-level packaging and heterogeneous integration capabilities 
  • R&D center focusing on next-generation packaging solutions 
  • Industry 4.0 automated manufacturing systems 
  • Key net-zero technologies to minimize carbon footprint and environmental impact 

Construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2025, with initial production planned for Q1 2028. The plant is expected to be operating at full capacity in 2033, processing approximately 10,000 panels per week.  

Regional Impact and Partnerships 

Under the Italian measure, Silicon Box is committed to strengthening Italy’s and the wider EU semiconductor value chain by bringing in advancing packaging technologies, managing supply shortages through priority orders, and developing workforce training programs.  

Silicon Box is already in talks with the local government to develop partnerships with educational institutions and workforce programs to cultivate a robust native talent which will include technicians and maintenance workers with expertise in automation, robotics, mechatronics, computer science, and graduates in electronic, mechanical, management, chemical and physical engineering. 

“We're committed to creating high-quality jobs, fostering local partnerships, and driving technological advancements that will benefit our customers and the broader economy, " says Michael Han, Head of Business, Silicon Box. “Silicon Box would like to express our gratitude to the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Piedmonte government, local officials, and our partners for supporting this expansion. Silicon Box remains committed to driving innovation, ensuring supply chain resilience, and contributing to the economic growth of Italy and beyond.” 

Silicon Box’s key manufacturing services will enable the adoption of chiplets and high-performance alternatives that require integrating a wide variety of technology nodes and materials. The plant will specialize in advanced packaging solutions for AI, high-performance computing (HPC), data centers, automotive, mobile, IoT and robotic applications, addressing Europe's growing demand for advanced chip technologies. 

About Silicon Box 

Silicon Box is an advanced semiconductor packaging company, specializing in cutting edge integration technology and manufacturing processes. We offer solutions that enable  chiplet architecture, as well as high performance alternatives to traditional packaging schemes. Leveraging our proprietary technology, 30 years of multi-sectoral expertise, and relationships with best-in-class partners, we strive to solve the unique challenges of  chiplet adoption to build the emergent technologies shaping the world around us today. 

Silicon Box was founded in 2021 by Dr. Byung Joon (BJ) Han, Dr. Sehat Sutardja, and Weili Dai. Dr. Han was previously the Chairman, CEO and CTO of the world’s 3rd largest outsourced assembly and test provider, STATS ChipPAC (SSE: 600584) for two decades, taking the company to $4B in revenue during his tenure. Dr. Han is the inventor of many of the most advanced packaging solutions in today’s market, and his team at Silicon Box holds standing records for yield in advanced packaging technology at wafer-level production. Dr. Sutardja introduced the concept of chiplets at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in 2015. He and Weili Dai founded Marvell Technology Group (NASDAQ: MRVL) in 1995 and ran the company for twenty years from a start-up to an over $50B market value company. 

To learn more about Silicon Box go to: silicon-box.com/newsroom and silicon-box.com