EU warns of chip subsidy race as Intel weighs plant

Ireland competing with other european countries to secure major new Intel manufacturing facility

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is pictured with Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger at the construction site of Intel’s latest manufacturing expansion in Leixlip, Co. Kildare in September. Picture: Marc O'Sullivan

Chipmakers may play off governments “against each other” for subsidies to fix semiconductor shortages, the European Union’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager warned.

While such action is tempting for companies in the current circumstances, it “risks letting taxpayers –- whether European or American -– pick up the bill, and get little from it,” she said in a speech today.