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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) – The CEO of South Korea-based chip maker SK Hynix, joined by state and global leaders, on Thursday had a ceremonial groundbreaking at Purdue Research Park for the company’s semiconductor packaging plant and a research and development facility.
The project, worth more than $4 billion, will mark the first high-bandwidth memory production hub in the United States.
SK Hynix announced Indiana as the home for the production hub in April 2024.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, said, “We are arguably in the best place in the country to have that perfect balance to keep attracting companies like SK Hynix.”
The United States leads the world in chip design, but much of the manufacturing has happened overseas.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said, “Investments like SK Hynix’s will help rebuild an end-to-end domestic semiconductor ecosystem from research and development to advanced packaging and production.”
By partnering with Purdue University, SK Hynix plans to establish a direct pipeline for tech careers in the state.
Mitch Daniels, former and interim Purdue president and a former Republican governor in Indiana, said, “A big part of our role in the partnership will be training. We’re going to work with Ivy Tech (Community College). We’re going to train people for the jobs that require a lot of skill but not necessarily a Purdue degree.”
Purdue officials expect the West Lafayette fabrication plant to bring in 1,000 jobs when production begins.
Officials with SK Hynix said the first “clean room,” where packaging will happen, is scheduled to open in October 2028.