Micron in Boise, Idaho (CBS2 file)
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) —On Thursday, Micron Technology announced plans to launch a new long-horizon research institution in Boise backed by a planned $10 billion investment over the next decade, positioning the effort as a major U.S.-based push to drive future breakthroughs in memory and semiconductor technology.
The company said Micron Research Labs will be headquartered in Boise and will bring together customers, academia, government and the broader semiconductor ecosystem to pursue advances beyond current technology roadmaps.
Micron said key research areas will include critical memory technologies, advanced memory and compute architectures, packaging and future semiconductor manufacturing.
“As the first dedicated memory research hub of its kind in the U.S.,” Micron said the initiative will center on a flagship Boise campus designed to support advanced research across multiple technology domains. The planned investment also includes funding for university collaborations, global satellite labs and ecosystem partnerships intended to create a connected research network focused beyond the next generation of technologies for the AI era.
“The decisions we make today will determine who leads the AI economy of tomorrow, and America’s AI future will be built on American-made memory,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, chairman, president and CEO of Micron Technology. “With a planned $10 billion investment in Micron Research Labs, we are looking around the corner to the memory and compute systems the future will demand, bringing together the best minds across academia, government, startups and industry. This builds on the more than $250 billion we have separately committed to manufacturing and R&D across the United States, because as the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory, we have long believed in the future that AI is now making real.”
Micron said the lab will be anchored in Boise and connected to its research and technology footprint across the U.S., Europe, Japan, India, Singapore and Taiwan, linking Micron researchers with external experts and research partners to accelerate the path from scientific discovery to real-world impact.
The company said Micron Research Labs will build on Micron’s “62,000 lifetime patents” and advance foundational research across memory, compute and semiconductor manufacturing, looking beyond a 10-year horizon while helping develop the next generation of memory researchers and technology leaders. Micron said advances in memory can make AI “more powerful, scalable, accessible and sustainable,” with potential benefits across agriculture, health care, education and other industries.
Micron said the new investment builds on previously announced plans to invest more than $250 billion in manufacturing and research and development in the U.S., which the company said will create over 90,000 American jobs and reinforce American leadership in memory and advanced manufacturing.
“For nearly 50 years, from four people in a Boise basement to America’s memory leader, Micron has pushed the boundaries of what memory can do,” said Scott DeBoer, executive vice president and chief technology and products officer at Micron Technology. “Micron Research Labs gives that legacy a dedicated home for long-horizon innovation, the kind of research that sits upstream of every product we build.”
Micron said it anticipates breaking ground in calendar 2027 on a state-of-the-art Micron Research Labs facility capable of hosting hundreds of researchers. The company said the facility is expected to convene research conferences, workshops and innovation forums in Boise.
Statement from Boise Mayor Lauren McLean
Micron’s planned $10 billion investment over the next decade in Micron Research Labs, centered on a flagship campus in Boise, is another historic moment for our city—and a powerful opportunity for generations to come. Micron started here in Boise. Today, it is one of the world’s leading memory technology companies, and this investment will further cement Boise’s place as a global center for memory technology and innovation. Micron Research Labs will bring together academia, government, startups and industry to advance the memory and compute breakthroughs that will shape the AI era. But this announcement is about more than a research campus. It’s about people and opportunity. It’s about the Boise student who can pursue a career in research, engineering or advanced manufacturing without leaving home. It’s about the young person who leaves for college, gains experience and now has a reason to come back. And it’s about our kids and grandkids having the opportunity to build careers, buy homes, raise families and build their futures right here. My husband, Scott, and I came to Boise at 23 because we saw an opportunity to build a life here. We were able to buy our first home, raise our family and put down roots. I want that same opportunity for the next generation. Micron’s investment helps make that possible. The impact will extend well beyond Micron, creating opportunities across construction, engineering, manufacturing, education, suppliers and small businesses throughout our region. It also strengthens the partnerships we are building with Boise State, the College of Western Idaho, our K-12 schools, labor organizations and industry to prepare Idahoans for the careers of the future. Micron’s next big investment is a remarkable vote of confidence in Boise. It’s an investment in technology, but more importantly, it’s an investment in people, opportunity and the next generation of our city.
