SUWON — U.S. semiconductor equipment maker Axcelis Technologies will build a new manufacturing facility in the Osung Foreign Investment Zone in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
Gyeonggi Province said on the 20th that Axcelis will invest about 57.5 billion won ($39.6 million) to establish an Asia hub center in the Osung Foreign Investment Zone.
Axcelis is regarded as a leading player in the global semiconductor ion implantation equipment market. The province expects the investment to help stabilize the semiconductor supply chain and advance Gyeonggi's strategy to widen its lead in chips.
A groundbreaking ceremony held the same day at the Osung Foreign Investment Zone was attended by Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae, Pyeongtaek Mayor Choi Won-yong, Axcelis President and Chief Executive Russell Low and Park Young-geun, head of Axcelis Korea.
About 50 officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, KOTRA Invest Korea, and major customers including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix also attended.
In a congratulatory speech, Choo said, "I congratulate Axcelis on breaking ground for its Asia hub center, having trusted Gyeonggi Province and set out on a new leap forward in Pyeongtaek."
"This investment is a meaningful start in expanding production, logistics and customer training functions, built on the manufacturing capabilities accumulated in Pyeongtaek," the governor said.
Choo also said, "Gyeonggi Province is working with the central government and related agencies to secure a stable supply of the electricity and water the semiconductor industry needs."
"We will create an environment where companies can invest with confidence, and move faster in leading the future of the global semiconductor industry," the governor said.
Low said, "This investment goes beyond simply expanding production capacity. It is an important opportunity to connect global technological capabilities with Korea's excellent manufacturing capacity."
"Based on partnerships with domestic customers and suppliers, we will support semiconductor innovation in the AI era and create opportunities for the industrial ecosystem to grow together," the CEO said.
Axcelis will construct a facility with a total floor area of about 18,800 square meters on a 22,326.5-square-meter site within the Osung Foreign Investment Zone. Completion is targeted for the first half of 2028. The project is an expanded investment that will relocate and enlarge the company's existing Asia operations center in Pyeongtaek. The new facility will house cleanrooms for manufacturing semiconductor ion implantation equipment, a hub warehouse supplying parts to Asia and Europe, and a customer training center.
Axcelis plans to shift some equipment and products currently made in the United States to Korea, raising the share of Asian export volumes produced domestically. The move will also strengthen its equipment supply and technical support capabilities for global customers.
Gyeonggi Province provided step-by-step support to attract the investment, including meetings with executives at Axcelis headquarters in the United States, site identification and permit negotiations. Axcelis chose Gyeonggi Province as its final investment destination after weighing sites in Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. The company signed a tenancy agreement for the Osung Foreign Investment Zone in September this year and has now begun construction.