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Brazil’s Ceitec vows to resume chip production
After a three-year hiatus, state-owned chip manufacturer Ceitec officially resumed operations on Tuesday. Ceitec is expected to restart production next year.
Context. Back in 2020, the Jair Bolsonaro administration put Ceitec into liquidation, a move that baffled many given the scientific value of such a company. The move was even more head-scratching because of its timing: Mr. Bolsonaro decided to sell a chip manufacturer for parts amid a global semiconductor shortage. The Lula administration reversed the liquidation process.
Why it matters. Ceitec is the only company in Latin America with the knowledge and infrastructure to manufacture semiconductors and produce silicon chips from scratch.
What they are saying. “Much is said about the ‘chip war’ between the U.S. and China, as semiconductors are a fundamental part of modern society,” said Augusto Gadelha, Ceitec’s chief executive. “Brazil lacks the capacity...