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Apple has announced plans to establish a quarter-million-square-foot artificial intelligence server factory in Houston, Texas, by 2026. The facility, developed in partnership with Foxconn, will be dedicated to manufacturing servers for Apple Intelligence, the company's AI feature suite that powers email drafting and other automated tasks.
The tech giant unveiled an ambitious $500 billion U.S. investment strategy spanning the next four years. This comprehensive plan encompasses various sectors, from supplier partnerships to content production for Apple TV+. In tandem with this announcement, Apple revealed its intention to create approximately 20,000 research and development positions across the United States.
"Apple will help bring online a 250,000-square-foot facility in Houston," the company stated, marking a strategic shift in its server production, which has traditionally been conducted outside U.S. borders. This development comes amid reports of Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent meeting with President Donald Trump, particularly significant given the context of potential 10% tariffs on Chinese-assembled Apple products.
The company's commitment to domestic manufacturing extends beyond the Texas facility. Apple recently began mass-producing its custom-designed chips at TSMC's Arizona factory, demonstrating its growing investment in U.S.-based semiconductor production. To further support this initiative, Apple announced the doubling of its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to $10 billion, with a substantial portion allocated to advanced silicon production at TSMC's Arizona operation.
In a move to bolster American manufacturing expertise, Apple will establish a manufacturing academy in Michigan. This institution will offer free courses to small and mid-sized manufacturing companies, focusing on essential skills like project management and manufacturing process optimization, with instruction provided by Apple engineers and local university staff.
This expansion mirrors Apple's previous U.S. investment announcement during Trump's first administration, which promised $350 billion over five years. The current plan represents a significant increase in scale and scope. While many of Apple's consumer products continue to be assembled overseas, the company maintains strong domestic component sourcing, particularly for semiconductors from providers like Broadcom, SkyWorks Solutions, and Qorvo.
The announcement reflects Apple's strategic response to evolving global trade dynamics and domestic policy initiatives, including the CHIPS Act. With this comprehensive investment plan, Apple positions itself at the forefront of U.S. technological manufacturing while contributing significantly to domestic job creation and economic growth in the artificial intelligence sector.
