Inmos microprocessor factory

The building was originally commissioned by Inmos, but by July 1984 Thorn EMI had taken over Inmos.

In March 1989, Thorn EMI sold Inmos to SGS-Thomson Microelectronics NV.{{cite book |last= Hart |first= Jeffrey A |title= Rival Capitalists: International Competitiveness in the United States, Japan, and Western Europe|url=https://archive.org/details/rivalcapitalists00hart|url-access= registration |quote= Thorn EMI Inmos. |publisher= Cornell University Press|isbn= 978-0-8014-9949-4 |year=1993|pages= [https://archive.org/details/rivalcapitalists00hart/page/176 176]|accessdate=26 September 2009}}{{cite news |url= https://techmonitor.ai/techonology/newport_wafer_fab_the_latest_chip_plant_to_fall|publisher= BNET|title=Newport Wafer Fab The Latest Chip Plant To Fall|accessdate=25 September 2009 | year=1998}}

In 1999, a management buyout took over the factory, renaming the business, European Semiconductor Manufacturing Limited.{{cite web |url= http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=10816145|publisher= United Business Media|title=Newport Wafer-Fab Bought Out For $160M|accessdate=25 September 2009}}

In March 2002, the factory was sold to International Rectifier Company (GB) Limited.{{cite web |url= http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2002/03/18/24568/sale-of-newport-wafer-fab-to-ir-saves-260-jobs.htm|publisher= Reed Business Information|title=Sale of Newport wafer fab to IR saves 260 jobs|accessdate=25 September 2009}}

In January 2015 it was acquired by Infineon Technologies, under its subsidiary company IR Newport Ltd.

In September 2017, Infineon sold the site to Neptune 6 Limited, under its subsidiary company of Newport Wafer Fab Limited.{{cite web |url= https://www.newportwaferfab.co.uk/about/history|publisher= CS Connected |title= A Critical Component of the Semiconductor Cluster|accessdate=20 February 2020}}{{cite web |url= http://www.compoundsemiconductorcentre.com/in-the-news-infineon-selling-ir-newport-manufacturing-site-to-new-firm-neptune-6|publisher= Semiconductor Centre Limited|title= In the news: Infineon selling IR Newport manufacturing site to new firm Neptune 6|accessdate=20 February 2020}}

In July 2021 the site was sold to Chinese-owned Dutch-headquartered Nexperia, who also have plants in Hamburg and Manchester.{{cite news |url= https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/05/nexperia-confirms-acquisition-of-newport-wafer-fab.html|publisher= CNBA|title=Chinese-owned Nexperia confirms acquisition of UK’s largest chip plant|accessdate=11 July 2021| date=5 July 2021}}{{Cite web |date=2022-04-01 |title=UK ministers quietly approve Chinese microchip factory takeover |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-minister-quietly-approve-chinese-microchip-factory-takeover/ |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=POLITICO |language=en-US}} Kwasi Kwarteng, then Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, deemed the sale insignificant to national security at the time of the acquisition.{{Cite news |last=Titcomb |first=James |date=2021-07-02 |title=Chinese-backed firm to take over UK's biggest microchip factory |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/07/02/chinese-backed-firm-eyes-takeover-uks-biggest-microchip-factory/ |access-date=2024-07-03 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} Based on a report by Datenna, CNBC reported on 7 July that about 30% of the shares of Nexperia's parent company Wingtech could be traced back to the Chinese government,{{Cite web |last=Shead |first=Sam |date=2021-07-07 |title=The Chinese firm behind the acquisition of the UK’s largest chip plant is state backed, analysis shows |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/07/nexperia-owner-wingtech-is-backed-by-chinese-government-analysis-says.html |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=CNBC |language=en}} which, according to Datenna, led to high-level Chinese government influence in 2021.

On 8 July 2021, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that a security review would be launched, overriding Kwarteng's initial assessment.{{Cite news |date=2022-04-05 |title=Newport Wafer Fab: Chinese sale not probed despite PM pledge |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-60984537 |access-date=2024-07-03 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=China takeover of UK silicon wafer plant to be reviewed over security |url=https://www.ft.com/content/9cd8e433-3f1e-4b66-8d2a-527957a64c66 |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=www.ft.com}} He appointed National Security Adviser Stephen Lovegrove as head of the review process.{{Cite web |date=16 May 2022 |title=UK opens national security probe into 2021 sale of local wafer fab to Chinese company |url=https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/26/security_probe_nexperia_sale/ |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=The Register}} Newport Water Fab only heard about the review through media reports.{{Cite web |last=Shead |first=Sam |date=2021-08-03 |title=Chip plant says it has not heard anything from UK government on national security probe |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/03/newport-wafer-fab-hasnt-heard-from-westminster-about-security-probe.html |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=CNBC |language=en}} In December 2021, Lovegrove assured that the sale was under review but would not go into details. In April 2022, the investigation was completed and had come to the same conclusion as the previous Deputy National Security Advisor, that the plant was not a national security issue because the technology used was 20 years old and China already had it.

In May 2022, a new Datenna investigation found that the overall percentage of shares traced to Chinese government entities declined to about 20 percent, resulting in a medium risk of government influence.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-26 |title=The Acquisition of Newport Wafer Fab and Nexperia |url=https://www.datenna.com/articles/newport-wafer-fab-case-study |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Datenna |archive-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626072912/https://www.datenna.com/articles/newport-wafer-fab-case-study |url-status=bot: unknown }}

In May 2022, another investigation was launched under the National Security and Investment Act.{{Cite web |date=6 July 2022 |title=Nexperia talks up its investment in UK wafer fab, says no plans to close |url=https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/06/nexperia_no_plans_close/ |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=The Register}}{{Cite web |date=26 May 2022 |title=UK government officially begins national security assessment of Newport Wafer Fab acquisition |url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/uk-government-officially-begins-national-security-assessment-of-newport-wafer-fab-acquisition/ |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=DCD}} The investigation was supposed to take 30 days{{Cite web |date=25 May 2022 |title=UK orders national security assessment of sale of microchip factory to China's Nexperia |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-carry-out-national-security-assessment-sale-microchip-factory-chinas-nexperia-2022-05-25/ |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=Reuters}}{{Cite news |last=Warrington |first=James |last2=Boland |first2=Hannah |date=2022-05-25 |title=China admits economy is worse now than during pandemic |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/05/25/ftse-100-markets-live-news-energy-price-cap-uk-windfall-wheat/ |access-date=2024-07-04 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} but ended up taking almost 6 months.{{Cite news |last=Field |first=Matthew |date=2022-11-18 |title=How Newport Wafer Fab became a flashpoint in Britain’s showdown with China |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/11/18/how-newport-wafer-fab-became-flashpoint-britains-showdown-china/ |access-date=2024-07-04 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} On 16 November 2022, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of the British government ordered Nexperia to divest 86% of its ownership interest in Nexperia Newport Limited (NNL, formerly Newport Wafer Fab) for national security reasons,{{Cite web |date=16 November 2022 |title=Newport Wafer Fab decision: notice of final order |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1118369/NWF_Final_Order_Public_Notice_16112022.pdf |access-date=26 June 2024 |website=gov.uk}} which Nexperia has vowed to appeal.{{Cite news |last= |date=2022-11-16 |title=UK orders China's Nexperia to sell at least 86% of microchip factory |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-orders-chinas-nexperia-sell-least-86-microchip-factory-2022-11-16/ |access-date=2022-11-16}}{{Cite news |date=2022-11-16 |title=Chinese ownership of Newport microchip plant a 'security risk' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-63656816 |access-date=2024-06-26 |work=BBC |language=en-GB}} Nexperia's UK manager said they rescued an investment-starved company from collapse, [...] repaid taxpayer loans, secured jobs, wages, bonuses and pensions, and agreed to spend more than £80 million on equipment upgrades since early 2021". The company said the decision was "legally wrong and disproportionate" in light of changes it had made to address the government's concerns, including a promise not to produce more sophisticated compound semiconductors.{{Cite news |last=Jolly |first=Jasper |last2=Badshah |first2=Nadeem |date=2022-11-16 |title=British government blocks takeover of Welsh semiconductor producer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/16/british-government-blocks-takeover-of-welsh-semiconductor-producer |access-date=2024-06-26 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

In December 2022, it was announced Nexperia had engaged New York law firm, Akin Gump to act on their behalf in their application for a judicial review of the UK government’s decision.{{Cite web |last=Manners |first=David |date=2022-12-30 |title=Nexperia engages New York law firm to fight UK government over Newport Wafer Fab |url=https://www.electronicsweekly.com/news/business/necoeria-engages-new-york-law-firm-to-fight-uk-government-over-newport-wafer-fab-2022-12/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=Electronics Weekly |language=en}} Nexperia agreed to sell the facility to Vishay Intertechnology for $177 million in November 2023.{{Cite news |last=Gross |first=Anna |last2=Pickard |first2=Jim |date=8 November 2023 |title=Nexperia sells Newport Wafer Fab to US chip company for $177mn |url=https://www.ft.com/content/cf295f39-4be8-4ecb-a8f1-963c94d9b1c2 |work=Financial Times}} Nexperia sold 100% of Nexperia Newport Limited, which owned and operated the Newport facility, to Vishay.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-06 |title=Vishay Intertechnology Acquires Nexperia’s Newport Wafer Fab for $177 Million |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vishay-intertechnology-acquires-nexperia-newport-071500206.html |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Yahoo Finance |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Vishay Powers Up: Completes $177M Acquisition Of Nexperia's Wafer Fab In Major UK Semiconductor Push |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/vishay-powers-up-completes-177m-acquisition-of-nexperias-wafer-fab-in-major-uk-semiconductor-push/ar-BB1jpZpn |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=MSN}} In March 2024, the UK government approved the acquisition of the Newport wafer fab, as announced by Secretary of State Oliver Dowden.{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2024-03-18 |title=Newport Wafer Fab sale wins government approval |url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/technology/article/sale-of-newport-wafer-fab-for-177m-approved-kp3wkks5j |access-date=2024-03-18 |language=en |issn=0140-0460}}{{Cite news |date=2024-03-01 |title=Newport Wafer Fab: Semiconductor plant takeover gets go-ahead |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-68449303 |access-date=2024-03-18 |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=Vishay completes acquisition of Nexperia’s Newport Wafer Fab following UK Government approval |url=https://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2024/mar/vishay-060324.shtml |access-date=2024-03-18 |website=www.semiconductor-today.com}} With the acquisition by Vishay, the 580 Newport employees retained their positions.{{Cite news |date=2023-11-08 |title=Technology: Hundreds of jobs saved after Nexperia forced to sell |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-67359645 |access-date=2024-06-27 |work=BBC |language=en-GB}}

File:Inmos Factory.jpg]]

Inmos Limited commissioned the Richard Rogers Partnership, now known as Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, to design its UK microprocessor manufacturing facility at Newport. The design criterion was for a fast construction, so that it was ready for operation within one year of starting.{{cite web|url= http://www.rsh-p.com/work/buildings/inmos_microprocessor_factory|publisher= Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners|title= Inmos Microprocessor Factory|accessdate= 24 September 2009|url-status= dead|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080421203427/http://www.rsh-p.com/work/buildings/inmos_microprocessor_factory|archivedate= 21 April 2008|df= dmy-all}} Richard Rogers until then was known for designing the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Lloyd's building in London. The main contractor for the construction of the building was Laing Construction, the structural engineers were Anthony Hunt Associates, the services engineers were YRM Engineers and the quantity surveyors were GA Hanscomb Partnership.{{cite web |url= http://www.rsh-p.com/Asp/uploadedFiles/Image/0200_Inmos_Factory/RSHP_A_JS_0200_L_E_GB.pdf|publisher= Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners|title= Inmos Microprocessor Factory|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022075217/http://www.rsh-p.com/Asp/uploadedFiles/Image/0200_Inmos_Factory/RSHP_A_JS_0200_L_E_GB.pdf|archive-date=22 October 2007}}

The technical requirements were that it would house controlled conditions for the production of electronic microchips, a service area for various offices and a staff canteen, all under one roof. The Inmos factory was designed to be a model factory that could be constructed in a variety of locations. The speed of the design process and construction time of the building were critical. The {{convert|8900|m2|ft2}} single-storey building was designed to be fabricated off-site, and assembled on the Newport site.

The building is divided into clean and "dirty" areas. The cleanroom being for microchip production and the dirty area for all others services in the building. The building has a central spine which is {{convert|7.2|m|ft|0}} wide and {{convert|106|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} from which all the services and production area emanates from eight bays with the potential to increase this to 20 bays.{{cite web |url= http://www.bookrags.com/biography/richard-rogers/|publisher=www.bookrags.com/|title= Encyclopedia of World Biography on Richard Rogers|accessdate=22 September 2009}} Suspended beams span 40m from the central spine with masts along the length of the building allowing for a post-free area,{{cite web |url= http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsapp/BT/PATCENT/AR.html|publisher= Columbia University|title= Patscenter, Princeton, New Jersey, USA |accessdate=24 September 2009}} and so providing a flexible interior and the possibility of large work areas. Reyner Banham, the architectural critic and writer, said of the Inmos factory that it was "the first really challenging building of the 1980s."{{cite book |last= Whiteley|first= Nigel |title= Reyner Banham: Historian of the Immediate Future |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZxO8MoWBBIC&q=inmos+1982&pg=PA294|location= Cambridge |publisher= MIT Press|isbn= 978-0-262-73165-2 |year= 2003|pages= 294|accessdate=26 September 2009}}

Construction began in 1980 and was completed by 1982.{{cite web |url= http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0000833|publisher= Nicolas Janberg (Structurae)|title= Inmos Microelectronics Plant|accessdate=17 September 2009}}

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Commons category|Inmos factory}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080421203427/http://www.rsh-p.com/work/buildings/inmos_microprocessor_factory Inmos microprocessor factory on the Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners website]
• [http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/INMOS_Factory.html Inmos microprocessor factory on the Great Buildings website]
• [http://www.inmos.com/images/uk_construction/index.html Photos of the construction of the Inmos microprocessor factory on www.inmos.com]
• [https://www.archdaily.com/406019/ad-classics-inmos-microprocessor-factory-richard-rogers-partnership AD Classics: Inmos Microprocessor Factory / Richard Rogers Partnership], link at ArchDaily

{{City of Newport}}

Category:Buildings and structures in Newport, Wales

Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1982

Category:Richard Rogers buildings

Category:1982 establishments in Wales