Arizona is one of nine states where Apple plans to invest more than $500 billion in new funding over the next four years, with the company announcing plans to hire about 20,000 more employees as it invests heavily in advanced technologies.
It’s the largest commitment ever by the maker of cellphones, touchscreen tablets, personal computers and many other devices. Most of the planned 20,000 new hires will work in research and development, silicon engineering, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The key investment will be a new advanced server-manufacturing plant for AI near Houston. Besides Arizona and Texas, other expansions are planned for Michigan, California, Nevada, Iowa, Oregon, North Carolina and Washington, the company announced Monday.
Apple also is making a multibillion-dollar commitment to produce advanced silicon at the new Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing facility in Phoenix. Apple is TSMC’s largest customer at this complex, which employs around 3,000 workers who make the technologically advanced chips that power computers, phones, industrial machinery and more. The TSMC complex has begun commercial production.
Apple also operates a data center in Mesa.
The investment in TSMC Arizona is part of a larger objective by Apple to double its U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which was created in 2017 to support world-class innovation and highly skilled manufacturing jobs across America. Apple will boost the fund’s size from $5 billion to $10 billion. It will focus on advanced manufacturing and skills development throughout the country.
“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, said in a prepared statement. “We’ll keep working with people and companies across this country to help write an extraordinary new chapter in the history of American innovation.”
Apple also will create an academy in Michigan to train the next generation of U.S. manufacturers and grow its U.S. R&D initiatives.
As part of its new $500 billion commitment, Apple will work with thousands of suppliers across all 50 states and include data centers, corporate facilities and Apple TV+ productions in 20 states. Apple said it already supports more than 2.9 million jobs across the country through direct employment, working with U.S.-based suppliers and others.
Apple’s plans to hire about 20,000 people over the next four years will focus on growing teams dedicated to custom silicon, hardware engineering, software development, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The new plant to manufacture AI servers in Houston, slated to open in 2026, will complement servers now made outside the U.S. that support AI processing. Apple said its machines will be highly energy efficient.
The company also will expand its data center capacity in Arizona and four other states.
Apple’s suppliers already manufacture silicon, a key material used in semiconductors, at 24 factories across 12 states, including Arizona.
Apple recently ranked as the world’s most valuable corporation with a stock market value of around $3.5 trillion. The company just announced the newest addition to its iPhone lineup, the iPhone 16e, which the company said delivers fast, smooth performance and breakthrough battery life.
Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: TSMC’s presence is one reason for Apple’s new commitment to Arizona
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