Micron to invest $75 million toward building America’s semiconductor workforce of the future in Idaho
Micron Technology, Inc., one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies and the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory, will celebrate the start of construction on the nation’s first new memory manufacturing fab in 20 years. Company executives will join Idaho Governor Brad Little, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, other community partners and team members to mark the milestone with a ceremonial concrete pour at Micron’s Boise headquarters on the 45th anniversary of the company’s founding.
Just over a year ago, Micron announced its plans to invest approximately $15 billion through the end of the decade to construct a new fab for leading-edge memory manufacturing, to be co-located with the company’s R&D epicenter in its hometown of Boise. Through the lifespan of the project, Micron will directly infuse $15.3 billion into the Idaho economy and directly spend $13.0 billion with Idaho businesses. The project will create over 17,000 new Idaho jobs, including 2,000 Micron direct jobs, furthering the need for a diverse, highly skilled workforce.
Boise is home to Micron’s corporate headquarters, its newly expanded Technology Innovation Center of Excellence and the only DRAM R&D fabrication facility in North America. Nearly two-thirds of Micron’s patents are generated from Boise team members — at a rate of more than three patents per day. Co-locating the leading-edge memory manufacturing fab is expected to provide multiple strategic benefits for the company and the U.S. semiconductor industry at large as Micron continues to drive industry leadership.
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“We are laying the foundation for Micron’s future and charting a path for revitalized U.S. high-tech manufacturing — just a year since we first broke ground here in Boise,” said Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. “As I reflect on the opportunity ahead, I value all of the incredible Micron team members, who over the last 45 years, have contributed to driving record-breaking innovations and making the Boise community the remarkable place that it is today. Our investments here and in New York will secure domestic memory production in the U.S., meeting the advanced applications of the future’s demands for the vast amounts of memory required for fast and efficient data storage and processing.”
The Idaho Community Investment Framework, which reflects the shared priorities Micron and its partners have identified to lead inclusive growth across the state, was formalized in May 2023 alongside Governor Little and Mayor McLean. Today, Micron is proud to announce its plans to invest $75 million over the next 10 years toward the Idaho community and workforce development priorities formalized earlier this year. In support of the Community Investment Framework, the State of Idaho and the City of Boise will recognize state and local efforts to bolster the success of new manufacturing in the state.
“On the 45th anniversary of this iconic Idaho company’s founding, it’s a pleasure to celebrate the start of construction on the largest private investment ever made in our state,” said Governor Little. “Micron is building the foundation for its next decades here in Idaho — with its new fab and its $75 million commitment to the priorities formalized in the Community Investment Framework. Micron and the State of Idaho have a long-standing partnership, and I’m looking forward to our continued cooperation as we pursue a shared goal of further developing Idaho’s motivated and capable workforce.”
Micron is dedicated to effective and creative workforce development solutions that make careers in the semiconductor industry accessible to all. Decades of investment in Idaho’s workforce have driven the innovation that sets Micron apart as a technology leader.
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“Today’s announcement of Micron’s $75 million investment in support of the goals set out in the Community Investment Framework is just the latest example of Micron enhancing and elevating the incredible community we’re proud to call home,” said Mayor McLean. “In aiming to achieve 100% water reuse, recycling and restoration, as well as use 100% renewable electricity at the new facility, Micron’s leadership in keeping Boise a place we can all thrive shines through. The City of Boise and Micron are long-standing partners, and we’re excited for the next 45 years.”
Cleanroom space in the new fab is expected to come online in phases starting in 2025, with DRAM production ramping over the second half of the decade in line with industry demand growth. Ultimately, the cleanroom space will reach 600,000 square feet — the size of approximately 10 U.S. football fields, and at its completion, the largest single cleanroom ever built in the country.
Micron’s Idaho investment plans will be enabled by the anticipated grants and credits provided by the CHIPS and Science Act, which allows projects like Micron’s to start construction in the U.S. and be cost-competitive with the rest of the world. Micron filed applications for its Idaho and New York projects with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Program Office in August 2023.
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