Yesterday, GlobalWafers disclosed that a fire, resulting from equipment combustion, broke out in the clean room of its 8-inch wafer production facility located in Novara, Italy. This incident has brought production to a temporary standstill. Thankfully, a swift and orderly evacuation ensured the safety of all personnel, with no injuries being reported. Notably, the 12-inch production line remained unscathed by the blaze.

At present, GlobalWafers is in the process of evaluating and formulating post-disaster recovery strategies. As the world's third-largest supplier of semiconductor silicon wafers, GlobalWafers operates a subsidiary, MEMC SPA, in Italy. Initially, the company had planned to commence production at its first 12-inch wafer plant in Italy during the latter half of 2023. Moreover, in recent years, GlobalWafers has made significant investments in establishing a 12-inch wafer plant in Sherman, Texas, USA. This endeavor has been bolstered by subsidies amounting to up to USD 400 million, provided under the framework of the U.S. CHIPS Act.