Catalonia, known for its rich cultural tradition, is embarking on a new era of innovation with the construction of a state-of-the-art clean room dedicated to the design and production of microchips.
Ideaded, the Catalan company behind this initiative, has invested 12 million euros to establish the largest private facility of its kind in southern Europe, located at its headquarters in Viladecans.
This project will not only enhance Catalonia’s technological leadership but will also generate highly specialized employment, hiring 100 professionals. The clean room, which covers 500 square meters, is expected to start operations in early 2023.
Ideaded and the production of microchips
Since its founding, Ideaded, under the leadership of Eduard Puig, has excelled in research and development (R&D) for the production of microchips, with a special focus on applications for the Internet of Things (IoT).
Its innovative approach involves the use of organic materials instead of traditional silicon, which significantly reduces production costs.
The clean room, with a capacity to produce between 5 and 20 million units per day, is presented as a milestone in the semiconductor field and will strengthen Catalonia’s position in the technology industry.
The strategic location of the clean room in Viladecans, with a total surface area of 7,000 square meters, comprises office areas and production and manufacturing spaces.
To materialize this project, the Generalitat has backed Ideaded with a loan of six million euros through Avançsa and the Institut Català de Finances (ICF). In addition, it has received a grant of more than 217,000 euros from the Direcció General d’Indústria as part of the reindustrialization line.
With an eye on the future, Ideaded plans to expand the cleanroom to 2,500 square meters, increasing the investment to 200 million euros and generating 400 additional jobs.
Chip sector strengthens in Catalonia
This project not only underscores Catalonia’s commitment to semiconductor innovation but also adds to other notable investments in the sector. Multinationals such as Intel and Cisco have recently announced significant projects in the region, consolidating Catalonia as a benchmark in the chip industry.
Ideaded’s investment aligns with a broader trend of technology companies looking to set up in Catalonia, as part of the city’s initiative to become a center of reference in technology and chip design.
In the case of Intel, the installation of a pioneering laboratory at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center is planned, with an investment of 80,000 million euros. Cisco has also chosen Barcelona to locate its first state-of-the-art chip design center in Europe.
