Indiana breaks ground on southwest Indiana semiconductor facility

Officials say a new microelectronics campus at WestGate@Crane will spur the economy and bring more jobs to southwest Indiana.

Governor Eric Holcomb joined local officials and business executives Monday to break ground on the project in Odon.

The $84 million development will leverage academic, corporate and defense partners to speed the re-shoring of semiconductor research and manufacturing in the U.S.

Read more: New development aims to bring new talent to Westgate, Crane

Governor Holcomb said he’s excited for the growth the plant will bring to local economies.

“This is a big day for America. And so therefore, certainly for Indiana and certainly for this region for Daviess County, Martin County, Greene County, Knox County, this whole uplands region,” he said. “And exactly what we had in mind when we were putting together some programs that would help improve quality of place and quality of life.”

The campus, WestGate One, has already attracted $300 million in industry investments from four different companies, with an estimated 549 specialized jobs being created.

Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers said that the campus is a large step forward for the state.

“Indiana has got about 100 year history in electronics and our momentum in microelectronics is just the next chapter in that history,” he said.

The project is in the very early stages of planning and development, with no exact timeline given on when it will be completed.

Read more: Holcomb urges Congress to act quickly on federal semiconductor legislation