Intel Leixlip

Leixlip is home to a semiconductor wafer fabrication facility and the Movidius Engineering team.

Intel Ireland

The Irish fab operations have consistently played a central role within Intel’s global manufacturing network. We’ve also leveraged our advanced manufacturing capability and world class infrastructure to develop new competencies for Intel in the areas of research and design.

In September 2016 Intel announced the acquisition of Movidius, a Dublin founded company that is transforming the future of computer vision and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate innovation for the next generation of smart and connected devices. Movidius is at the forefront of a new era of computing. Their technology enables new levels of intelligence for edge devices (cameras, drone, robots) by delivering low-power, high-performance SoC platforms around computer vision.

This acquisition brought with it algorithms tuned for deep learning inference, depth processing, navigation and mapping, and natural interactions. It also brought broad expertise in embedded computer vision and machine intelligence. The Movidius Engineering team operates out of three primary locations in Ireland, Romania, and North America. The Ireland team are based at the Leixlip campus and specialize in leading edge computer vision IP and hardware development.

Additionally, there’s a dedicated team of employees involved in Silicon Nanoelectronics Research. This team collaborates with research institutes such as the CRANN Nanoscience Research Centre in Trinity College Dublin, which hosts SFI Research centre AMBER (Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research), and the Tyndall National Research Institute in Cork. Intel also collaborates with universities and other companies in Ireland through several different initiatives. These include having specific partnership agreements with several third level institutions across the country.

Expansion Project

Ireland is part of Intel’s global manufacturing site expansion plans. Construction activity began in early 2019 on the multiyear project that will double the available manufacturing space in Ireland. Intel is investing €17 billion in this new fab development which will double the manufacturing capacity available in Ireland and enable the production of Intel 4, the company’s most advanced process technology. Construction activity is well advanced and tool installation began at the beginning of 2022. The project creates 1,600 full time, hi-tech roles once complete and will involve 6,000 construction workers at its peak.

Economic Impact

The work that we undertake at the Leixlip campus is world class and unique in terms of its scale and complexity and has had a very significant impact on both the local and national economy in many ways. For example, our economic impact will reach €2.75 billion annually to the Irish economy and supports 6,669 full time equivalent jobs in the economy that are in addition to the 4,500 people working for Intel. We support 771 Irish suppliers with who we spend €284 million every year.