Oregon Governor Tours Intel's Israel Research And Development Facility

April 2, 2008 -- Oregon Governor wants to further understanding of the critical factors supporting the growth of Intel manufacturing and the R&D center in Israel and look for lessons learned that might apply to Oregon.

(Kiryat Gat, Israel)-- Governor Ted Kulongoski continued his business development mission in Israel today where met with representatives from Intel’s Israeli research and development (R&D) facility.

Article continues below...

Intel is Israel’s largest non-governmental employer, with 7,300 workers in production and R&D. By way of comparison, Intel has approximately 15,500 employees in Oregon. Intel chose Israel as the location for its first design and development center outside the US in 1974, the same year Intel acquired its first Oregon site in Aloha.

“Oregon is home to Intel’s largest production facility in the world, which is the back bone of Oregon’s renowned ‘silicon forest’ semiconductor industry,” Governor Kulongoski said. “I want the state to do everything it can to keep Oregon on the cutting edge of silicon technology, which is such a driving force of Oregon’s economy.”

The Israel and Oregon facilities are connected in their work; Intel’s production facility in Kiryat Gat is scheduled to begin production of the ultra-small 45-nanometer chips this fall, a process developed in Intel’s Hillsboro plant, which was the first 45-nanometer production facility in the world.

The Governor and his team discussed sustainability issues with Intel Israel, looking for energy, water, transportation or other unique conservation or efficiency strategies that may provide good models for Oregon businesses.

The Governor started out his Intel visit with a 45-minute tour of the facility, including an orientation to the new, soon-to-be finished 300 mm wafer/45 nm chip fabrication site, which was designed in Hillsboro. The new facility was constructed at a cost of $3.5 billion, and Intel received a $525 million subsidy from the Israeli government.

Source: Oregon Governor