South Korean tech company Samsung has cemented plans to build a $17bn, 5 million sq m semiconductor factory in Taylor, Texas, about 25km from the company’s site in Austin.

As reported in May, the facility will make semiconductors for use in four areas: mobile, 5G, high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.

The $17bn will be spent on buildings, property improvements, machinery and equipment, and is Samsung’s largest investment in the US.

Construction will begin in the first half of 2022 and the factory is due to be operational in the second half of 2024.