“We live in a new age of metals: whoever dominates silicon, dominates the technological age.” This is how Esteve Farrés, an electronic engineer and doctor of physics, sums up the current importance of semiconductors. Farrés, together with other volunteers from academia and business, is one of the promoters of a manifesto to bring a large microchip factory to Catalonia, taking advantage of the interest (and millions) of the European Union to re-produce these on the continent. key components of the electronics industry.
The text puts on the table the Far-Vilamalla estate and also the Riudellots estate (CIM La Selva) as two of the three ideal locations for installing the hypothetical microchip plant. The other is Sant Esteve Sesrovires. The signatories seek above all to make noise and bring to light the debate on whether Catalonia is ready to host such an industry.
So far, research centers, business institutions and major universities in the country have supported the measure. El soroll ha arribat a les orelles de les administracions catalana i espanyola, que es mostren interessades però també escèptiques davant la possibilitat de fer venir una indústria d’aquest calat. Not because of a lack of desire, but because it does not depend exclusively on them but on the interest that the world’s major technology companies (which are the only ones with the resources to be able to install a plant of this nature) may have in setting up their factory here and not in another part of Europe.
Butterfly effect
Although the possibilities are remote, only the proposal and the fact that it is supported by the academic and business world has already placed Girona within the great geopolitical game that is played worldwide and that explains much of the economic and social mess that we are currently living.
Farrés explains: “Without semiconductors, no electronic device can be operated. Mainland China and Taiwan currently produce the vast majority of chips in the world. The United States is very afraid that if China ends up occupying Taiwan, it will end up having a monopoly on this product. For them this would be intolerable, as well as for the European Union. That is why they have proposed reindustrializing this sector. Not to have to depend on China.
This first geopolitical movement explains, for example, the speed with which Brussels wants to push through the Chips Act, a bill to create the right conditions to end up producing 20% of the world’s chips. “They will be quick to approve it, probably before the end of the year,” says Farrés. This geopolitical movement also explains why the multinational Intel has already decided to install several semiconductor production centers in Germany, Italy, France and Poland. Spain has been left out, but Farrés is confident that other technology giants will remain interested. One of the possible candidates would be the Taiwanese TSMC, or the Korean Samsung. It’s not easy to “catch” them. These companies will have to pocket most of an investment that climbs above 20 billion euros.
Farrés explains that they will need public aid or not, and this is where the loss of 11 billion euros specific for semiconductors recently announced by Pedro Sánchez comes into play. It is the money that the administrations have to pocket to attract the technological ones.
There are other conditions. The multinational that wants to come must not only be guaranteed the financial support of the Government, but must also look for a place that is well connected and developed. “We believe that the three proposals we have made meet these conditions.”
And another question: will a company that has received offers from other more powerful regions such as Germany, or that offer more attractive conditions, such as the Baltic republics, want to come to Girona? This is where geopolitics comes into play again. “Germany already has microchip factories, it is difficult to concentrate more. And the Baltic republics are close to Russia. Today, a multinational would like to set up a factory like this a few kilometers from the border of a country at war? ”Reflects Farrés.
The signatories of the manifesto consider that a microchip plant is an opportunity “that happens every 30 or 40 years”, and that “it can change the face of Catalonia”, attract parallel industries and create additional jobs. The last question he plans is whether Sanchez decides to put the plant elsewhere in Spain. Farrés is clear: “Everyone is moving to position the factory. In the end, it’s European money, and coffee is not for everyone. The plant should be in the best possible place.