ATREG brings Wolfspeed SiC fab to Upstate NY

Wolfspeed Mohawk Valley fab
“The ATREG team has been instrumental in helping us secure this new addition to Mohawk Valley’s growing technology industry. Today’s manufacturers are always looking for better, smarter ways to produce vital electronics components. Cree’s high-voltage power electronic devices are more compact, efficient, and cheaper to produce. ATREG’s deep knowledge and understanding of the global semiconductor supply chain combined with their long-standing relationships with the world’s executive technology leaders helped us identify and facilitate the right match. It’s a win-win for all!”
President

Challenge

Oneida County based economic development organization Mohawk Valley EDGE was tasked by the state of New York to attract world-class technology players to join the state’s leading-edge semiconductor ecosystem at the Marcy Nanocenter site located near Utica in Upstate New York, with the help of attractive government incentives.

Solution

Mohawk Valley EDGE retained ATREG to find suitable semiconductor companies looking for U.S. sites to build greenfield fabs. ATREG identified Wolfspeed (formerly Cree) headquartered in Durham, NC as a perfect match. The company needed to dramatically increase its SiC and GaN capacity to meet increasing demand from growing electric vehicle (EV), 4G/5G mobile, and industrial markets. Wolfspeed wanted to keep its manufacturing in the United States and build a state-of-the-art, automotive-qualified, 200mm-capable greenfield fab that would offer greater output capability.

Business Result

• With the world’s largest SiC fab, Wolfspeed is driving the industry transition from silicon carbide and establishing an SiC corridor on the East Coast of the U.S.
• This public-private partnership will contribute $1.2 billion over six years and invest $30 million on research and development in the region.
• New York State reinforced its position as a leading U.S. innovation hub in power electronics and radio frequency (RF) and helped address the growing demand from automotive, communications infrastructure, and industrial markets.
• After two years of construction, the fab started production in Q2 2022 and Wolfspeed will create at least 614 full-time jobs over the next few years, 80% of which in engineering / technical.