Will Roseville have the nation’s largest SiC semiconductor factory? Bosch, Biden propose deal
The Biden-Harris Administration announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce and Bosch, a German technology and engineering company who acquired TSI Semiconductors in Roseville, that would provide them up to $225 million for the company.
This funding would be authorized under the Creating Helpful Incentives for the Production of Semiconductors for America Act, which was co-created by Congresswoman Doris Matsui.
Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, said this will set a precedent for more economic development in the region.
“This is the kind of announcement that makes you relevant on Wall Street, which is where you need to be relevant.” Broome said.
With Bosch as an international and multi-billion dollar company choosing Roseville to produce 40% of silicon carbon chips in the nation, it will give the Sacramento-area more investment opportunities.
“This will completely redefine us in the most sophisticated places in the world,” he added. “We’re starting to get to where these kind of announcements — which haven’t been around California in 30 years, haven’t been around Sacramento in 40 years — are starting to happen all the time. That’s what puts you on the map.”
Bosch acquired TSI Semiconductors in 2023, when it was based in Sacramento. Then, the company planned to install a fabrication line for silicon carbide chips, which are crucial in electric cars. This proposed funding effort would give Bosch $1.9 billion to transform its site to make, produce and test SiC chips by 2026.
“The historic funding in the CHIPS Act has been a crucial catalyst to reignite domestic semiconductor manufacturing and create a secure, resilient supply chain for many years to come,” said Matsui, D-Sacramento, in a news release Friday. “Today’s announcement is yet another example of how this funding is creating long-term economic anchors for communities across the country.”
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, in a news release, said that SiC chips are considered an important component to automotive, telecommunication and defense industries because they use less energy.
With this proposed investment, we are taking another important step in fulfilling that priority to ensure our supply chains are more secure while creating over a thousand anticipated jobs in the process,” Raimondo said.
This proposed funding would provide expansion of their largest SiC device facility for Bosch and create up to 1,000 construction jobs and up to 700 manufacturing, engineering, and research and development jobs in California, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Broome added that this deal will make California see the Sacramento region as its “shining jewel.” Sacramento has been an outlier with this agreement, the railyard stadium and UC Davis making its way to the Mountain West Conference, the area is building a reputation as the “place to be” in the state, he explained.
“There’ll be other major players that will notice that, and start to think maybe we should be looking at Greater Sacramento. Maybe we shouldn’t be ignoring California,” Broome said. “Maybe Sacramento is the place to be in California, which is what we want. We want people to think California is still a place where you can invest in and the Sacramento region is the best place to invest in California.”
