Advanced Micro Devices, in conjunction with state leaders, announced June 23 that it would be building a new manufacturing plant at the Luther Forest Technology Park in Saratoga County.
The Luther Forest campus is a 1,350 acre site in Malta, N.Y., that was created to attract nanotechnology and microchip wafer manufacturers to the area. Development began in September 2002 with the support of Congressman John Sweeney and National Grid, as well as state, county, and local authorities. It provides redundant electrical and telecommunications infrastructure, abundant water and sewer services, and direct access to major highways—all, according to its web site, in a natural wooded setting.
The selection of the Luther Forest site as the location of the new fabrication facility came as a result of several years of preparation and lobbying. It began with a meeting four to five years ago between local officials, business development firms and consultants, and AMD executives. Since then, representatives from the Capital Region have met with AMD a number of times and reviewed other existing facilities. They also brought on board M+W Zander, a firm that has significant experience from past—and influence on future—AMD facility construction.
New York leaders became involved in the process about a year ago, when local officials made an initial proposal—a proposal that would involve a $1 billion incentive package for AMD. The bid was approved, in part due to the current nanotechnology initiatives and the growing economic and industry prominence of AMD. Talks with AMD CEO Hector Ruiz began six to seven months ago.
The new $600 million fabrication plant will occupy approximately 1.2 million square feet and will be equipped with $2.6 billion in cutting edge tools. It will specialize in the production of 300 millimeter wafers with 32 nanometer process technology. Construction is expected to begin between July 2007 and July 2009, and should be fully operational between December 2012 and December 2014. The plant will employ 1,200 directly, and will create an additional 2,000 jobs in the immediate vicinity to support the plant. It is expected to bring in over $2 billion to the area within three years of becoming operational.
Due to its close proximity to the main RPI campus—about 20 miles north—this new plant is likely to have a significant impact on Rensselaer students. It will open up new opportunities for corporate partnership, which could provide valuable resources—both monetary and material—and will open up research and employment possibilities in many different fields.
According to Tom Tarantelli, director of RPI’s Career Development Center, this represents a wonderful new opportunity. AMD has had a relationship with Rensselaer in the past, but such ties have fallen to the wayside in recent years as AMD developed its overseas production facilities. The Institute may see a reversal of that trend now, however. Tarantelli is “hopeful that this is a signal that AMD will be a presence on campus again.”
This will also provide yet another tie between RPI and the community of the greater Capital Region. Tarantelli says that this is a good thing; closer association with the community opens up opportunities for Rensselaer and its students, and makes RPI an attractive target for students and corporations alike.
At the upcoming NSBE/SHPE Career Fair in September, AMD will be present.
