-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- I-Connect007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current Issue
Beyond the Rulebook
What happens when the rule book is no longer useful, or worse, was never written in the first place? In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, we’re increasingly asked to design and build what has no precedent, no proven path, and no tidy checklist to follow. This is where “Design for Invention” begins.
March Madness
From the growing role of AI in design tools to the challenge of managing cumulative tolerances, these articles in this issue examine the technical details, design choices, and manufacturing considerations that determine whether a board works as intended.
Looking Forward to APEX EXPO 2026
I-Connect007 Magazine previews APEX EXPO 2026, covering everything from the show floor to the technical conference. For PCB designers, we move past the dreaded auto-router and spotlight AI design tools that actually matter.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - I-Connect007 Magazine
Intel to Repurchase 49% Equity Interest in Ireland Fab Joint Venture
April 2, 2026 | IntelEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Intel Corporation and Apollo announced a definitive agreement for Intel to repurchase the 49% equity interest in the joint venture related to Intel’s Fab 34 in Ireland not held by Intel for $14.2 billion. The agreement reflects Intel’s continued business momentum underpinned by the growing and essential role CPUs play in the era of AI, a significantly strengthened balance sheet and the strong partnership between Intel and Apollo.
In 2024, Apollo-managed funds and affiliates led an $11.2 billion investment to acquire a 49% equity interest in a joint venture entity related to Fab 34, providing Intel with equity-like capital while preserving balance sheet strength. This transaction provided Intel with significant financial flexibility and enabled the company to unlock and redeploy capital to advance its strategic priorities including accelerating the buildout of Intel 4 and Intel 3, the most advanced processes manufactured in Europe, and of Intel 18A, the most advanced process developed and manufactured in the U.S. today.
“We thank Apollo for their ongoing partnership on our journey to build a world-class wafer fabrication and advanced packaging foundry anchored in trust, consistency, and execution,” said David Zinsner, Intel CFO. “Our 2024 agreement was the right structure at the right time and provided Intel with meaningful flexibility, enabling us to accelerate critical initiatives. Today, we have a stronger balance sheet, improved financial discipline and an evolved business strategy. We appreciate Apollo’s continued collaboration to reach this outcome as we realign our capital structure with our long-term strategy.”
“Our partnership with Intel began at an important stage in the execution of its advanced manufacturing roadmap, where our long-term strategic capital played a meaningful role in accelerating the production of next-generation chip technology,” said Apollo Partner Jamshid Ehsani. “Flexibility and alignment are core to how we approach relationships as a long-term, solutions-oriented capital partner, and we are pleased to facilitate this transaction in support of Intel’s evolving strategic and operational priorities. This mutually beneficial transaction is a testament to how we operate: client-driven and focused on long-term partnership. We’re proud to support Intel’s evolving strategic and operational priorities and look forward to pursuing additional opportunities to work together over time.”
The repurchase of the 49% JV stake is expected to be funded through cash on hand and proceeds from the issuance of new debt of approximately $6.5 billion. The transaction is expected to be accretive to ongoing EPS while strengthening Intel’s credit profile in 2027 and beyond. Intel continues to expect it will retire debt maturities as they come due in 2026 and 2027.
Ireland and Fab 34 remain central to Intel’s global manufacturing footprint and current and future product roadmap. Fab 34 is a high-volume semiconductor fabrication facility for products utilizing the Intel 4 and Intel 3 process technologies, including Intel Core Ultra and Intel Xeon 6 processors. Intel continues to make significant capital investments in its Ireland campus to expand manufacturing capacity, strengthen execution, and deliver for customers building next-generation AI-enabled systems.
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Molex Accelerates Supply Chain Transformation with Celonis AI
04/17/2026 | BUSINESS WIRECelonis, a global leader in Process Intelligence, announced a successful collaboration with Molex, a global electronics leader and connectivity innovator, demonstrating that process context provides the essential foundation for reliable, scalable Enterprise AI.
Molex Accelerates Supply Chain Transformation with Celonis AI
04/16/2026 | BUSINESS WIRECelonis, a global leader in Process Intelligence, announced a successful collaboration with Molex, a global electronics leader and connectivity innovator, demonstrating that process context provides the essential foundation for reliable, scalable Enterprise AI.
Long Night of Research 2026: AT&S Brings Artificial Intelligence to Life
04/15/2026 | AT&SWhen the Long Night of Research takes place throughout Austria on Friday, April 24, setting an example for the country’s innovative strength, AT&S will be there with a special highlight.
CACI Completes Acquisition of ARKA Group
03/09/2026 | CACI International Inc.CACI International Inc announced that it has completed its acquisition of ARKA Group L.P. (ARKA) in an all-cash transaction for $2.6 billion.
€15M AI-DISCO Project Launches as First Module of AI & Microelectronics Research Factory
03/09/2026 | Fraunhofer IPMSThe Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) has approved €15 million in funding for the AI-DISCO project – Edge/Cloud AI for Distributed Sensing & Computing.