GlobalWafers, which failed to acquire Siltronic, to invest 4.3 trillion won in facilities

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Taiwanese semiconductor company GlobalWafers, which failed to acquire German semiconductor firm Siltronic, has decided to make a facility investment worth 4.3 trillion KRW.

According to Taiwan Central News Agency (CNA) and others on the 7th, GlobalWafers' Chairperson and CEO Hsu Shih-lan stated during an online conference the previous day that the company had been planning a two-track strategy from the early stages of the Siltronic bid. The investment amount announced by GlobalWafers is 10 billion New Taiwan Dollars (approximately 4.3 trillion KRW), to be deployed from this year through 2024.

Originally, these funds were secured to be used for the acquisition of Siltronic, but after the acquisition deal fell through, the company shifted its focus to expanding production capacity in line with the semiconductor boom. GlobalWafers is considering allocating this capital to its 8-inch and 12-inch wafer lines. Chairperson Hsu said, "We are very pleased to be able to consider various options for technology development and production capacity expansion."

Previously, GlobalWafers had been pursuing an acquisition deal for Siltronic worth 4.4 billion euros (approximately 6 trillion KRW), but the German government did not approve it within the deadline on the 1st, resulting in the deal's collapse. At that time, antitrust authorities from Taiwan, Europe, the United States, China, and other countries approved the acquisition deal within the deadline, but the German government did not approve it, citing that "all necessary steps for investment review were not completed," which caused the deal to be stalled.

Chairperson Hsu declined to comment on the German government's decision regarding the Siltronic acquisition but said, "As GlobalWafers gradually grows in size and expands its market share, it will become increasingly difficult to obtain acquisition approvals from other governments considering antitrust issues and geopolitical concerns."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.