Salem, Oregon – A $1.7 billion semiconductor investment is moving from economic strategy to construction in Oregon, with Lam Research breaking ground on a major expansion of its Tualatin facility.
The project brings a striking set of numbers with it: more than 400 new direct, high-wage jobs, thousands of indirect jobs and what is expected to become Lam Research’s largest investment in Oregon to date.
Gov. Tina Kotek joined Lam Research, a major supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and services, in announcing the start of construction. The expansion is expected to strengthen Oregon’s advanced manufacturing base while adding capacity to the state’s semiconductor research and development ecosystem.
“Today’s groundbreaking signals strength in Oregon’s economic future,” Kotek said.
“This expansion will create more high-quality jobs, strengthen the state’s world-class research and development ecosystem, and help ensure Oregon and the United States continue to lead in semiconductor innovation for decades to come.”
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State support helped move the project forward. Lam Research received $22 million through the Oregon CHIPS Act in 2024 to support construction. Oregon’s Strategic Investment Program was also cited as an important part of securing the expansion and is now in the final stages of state approval through the Oregon Business Development Commission.
The project lands in an industry already carrying major economic weight. Oregon’s computer and electronic products sector supports about 61,000 jobs statewide, with an average annual wage approaching $169,000. In 2025, exports from the sector topped $10 billion, representing nearly 40% of Oregon’s total exports.
Oregon has spent several years building incentives and workforce programs around that economic base. Kotek signed the Oregon CHIPS Act in 2023, followed by the Semiconductor Talent Sustaining Fund in 2024 and the CHIPS Child Care Fund for families working within the semiconductor supply chain. Oregon also secured up to $160 million in federal funding in July to support further growth of the industry.
The Lam expansion is also being positioned as a major test of Kotek’s Prosperity Roadmap, introduced in December 2025 with goals of retaining and expanding Oregon businesses, creating jobs and accelerating economic growth.
Since then, the administration has established a Prosperity Council, launched a global trade desk and advanced legislation aimed at business growth. With construction now beginning in Tualatin, one of the strategy’s largest private investments is entering a more visible phase: turning commitments into facilities and jobs.
