Intel Israel's exports fell slightly to $4.1 billion in 2015, 11% of Israel's high-tech exports (industry and services). Exports in 2014 had been $4.25 billion, and the company explained the fall last year as due to a deliberate slowdown in production as part of the upgrade to the new fab. When the upgrade of its Kiryat Gat fab, in which an unprecedented $6 billion was invested, is completed, another leap in Intel Israel's export is projected.
"70% of the exports are based on our fabs," explained Intel Israel fabs manager Daniel Benatar. "The Kiryat Gat fab, which is currently undergoing a technological upgrade, is one of Intel's outstanding fabs worldwide. Because of its production, Intel Israel makes a healthy contribution to Israeli exports."
"Intel Israel's fabs make a substantial contribution to the Israeli economy, and the exports by Intel are critical for the Israeli economy," Intel Israel CEO Maxine Fassberg said. "Since its founding 42 years ago, the company has exported $44 billion. That is an enormous sum, which affects Israel's economy growth and the people living here every year."
Fassberg added that in order to develop Israel's outlying areas and foster the economic and employment anchors there, "A major plant like Intel in Kiryat Gat is extremely significant. We employ 3,000 workers, half of whom live in the south. We work with 1,000 suppliers, most of them local. An entire industrial zone has developed around the fab, including large companies that migrated south in the wake of Intel. This anchor should be preserved, while at the same time developing regulation to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to grow, especially in the outlying areas."
Intel Israel's development centers in Haifa, Jerusalem, and in the central region added 400 employees in 2015, according to figures for the year published by Intel Israel, Israel's largest high-tech company. The new employees enabled Intel to establish special development teams and expand teams that led several of global Intel's leading technologies, such as perceptual computing, cloud computing, big data, computer vision, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
This year, Intel was able to recruit a significant number of outstanding employees laid off by other high-tech companies, such as AMD, Marvell Technology Group (Nasdaq: MRVL), and Qualcomm. It was also able to acquire the development activity of Lantiq Israel. Intel Israel's personnel recruitment emphasizes diversity in employment and promotion of women, with the proportion of women recruited being 27%, a result, among other things, of the incentives in the word of mouth campaign. This year, the employees of McAfee, acquired by global Intel, became employees of Intel Israel, and made it possible to continue development of advanced cyber technologies.
"2015 was an excellent year in all matter pertaining to employee recruitment," Intel Israel development centers manager Ran Sandrovich said. "Intel Israel's development teams continue to excel in innovation and breakthroughs in an ever-widening span of technologies. We are speeding up the development of processors, adding 'senses' and 'insight' to them, and connecting them to people and devices in order to create an amazing experience. One of the main products launched this year was a 6G processor of the core family, which was mostly developed in Israel."
The project of upgrading the production technology at the Kiryat Gat Intel fab is nearing completion, and Intel expects to recruit production workers, engineering technicians, and engineers there over the next two years. The project, which includes major construction work, employed 2,300 construction workers .
Promoting the next generation of Israeli high tech
Intel Israel contributed NIS 24 million for cultural activities over the past year, mainly educational programs for promoting the study of mathematics and science. For example, Intel instituted the "5 times 2" program, also sponsored by the Ministry of Education, for the purpose of doubling the number of high school students matriculating in mathematics at the highest level. With the help of the Ministry of Education and a coalition of high-tech companies, 40,000 students at 450 high schools in Israel are hearing lectures about the importance of studying mathematics at the highest level and receiving inspiration, support, and professional assistance.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 31, 2016
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