*On Monday, June 1, 2026, Foxconn, Radiall and Thales laid the foundation stone for their future joint venture at Le Barp (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) as part of the Choose France 2026 Summit, in the presence of the French Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty, responsible for Industry, Mr. Sébastien Martin, the President of S Business Group for Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), Dr. Bob Wei-Ming Chen, the Chairman and CEO of Radiall, Mr. Pierre Gattaz, the Chairman and CEO of Thales, Mr. Patrice Caine and the President of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Mr. Alain Rousset.
*This company, called Tessalia Technology SAS, will be dedicated to Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Testing (OSAT). It aims to produce more than 50 million System in Package (SiP) components per year by 2033.
*Within the framework of the EU chips act, this project represents a major step forward in strengthening the French and European semiconductor ecosystem, increasing its capacity for innovation, strategic autonomy and competitiveness.
One year after the announcement by the President of the French Republic, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, at the Choose France 2025 Summit, of the initiation of preliminary discussions among Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), Radiall and Thales, the three companies laid the foundation stone of their future joint venture at Le Barp, near Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), on Monday, June 1, 2026. Le Barp is located in the heart of a rich academic and industrial ecosystem, close to the “Route des Lasers” and with the presence of numerous cleanrooms and a large pool of expertise in these fields.
Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturing service provider, Radiall, a leading French manufacturer of high-performance interconnect solutionsfor demanding industries, and Thales, a global leader in advanced technologies, have named this new company Tessalia, referring to the tiles of a mosaic (from the Latin “tessella”). They are combining their strengths to create, test and assemble advanced packaging solutions for electronic chips (Systems in Package, SiP) for aerospace, telecom infrastructure, automotive and medical sectors notably. Tessalia will use an innovative encapsulation technology aimed at developing ultra-high-density packaging. This will help simplify printed circuit boards (PCBs) and create smaller, lighter components, thereby improving their integration capability. This technology is emerging as a breakthrough in terms of yields and competitiveness for future products.
Tessalia aims to:
- Be a sovereign and competitive company to meet European needs in the field of semiconductor packaging in strategic sectors. Tessalia will have access to the technology from Foxconn under agreed licensing arrangements.
- Provide to its customers a single interface to manage the entire implementation of advanced packaging for electronic chips. This vertical approach simplifies the packaging stage and guarantees reduced cycle time. It also minimises the carbon footprint of the sector by reducing round trips with multiple suppliers distributed worldwide;
- Promote an autonomous and open player able to manage the European packaging market ecosystem.
Production is expected to start at the end of 2029 and to reach more than 50 million System in Package (SiP) components per year by 2033. This initiative aims to welcome other industrial players to support an investment that could exceed €250 million by 2033. Tessalia is expected to have 800 employees at full production.
In a context of surging demand for electronic equipment and artificial intelligence, and of geopolitical tensions disrupting global supply chains, semiconductor production has become a major strategic challenge, leading to a readjustment of the sector, an acceleration of production capacities and the development of new technologies.
“This new advanced capacity is a key sovereign asset for the European and French semiconductor industry. This project aligns perfectly with Radiall’s strategy, enabling the development of our next advanced connection solutions for demanding applications.” Pierre Gattaz, Chairman and CEO, Radiall
“This is not just a factory. It is a strategic platform for advanced manufacturing, semiconductor resilience, and future technologies in Europe. This project also supports Foxconn’s strategy of Build-Operate-Localize, which expands our global technology footprint through trusted partnerships.” Young Liu, Chairman, Foxconn
“The laying of this first stone today demonstrates our shared ambition, together with Radiall and Foxconn, to build an innovative and competitive European player in the advanced semiconductor packaging market, in a context of strong competition. Tessalia is part of a drive for independence and control over the value chain of all our electronic products.” Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO, Thales
“I am delighted to welcome this strategic factory, which is crucial for our sovereignty in the electronics sector. It strengthens our regional ecosystem in this sector, which already represents 20,000 jobs. This project also rewards our long-standing efforts in reindustrialization, which have enabled us to become the leading region in France in terms of creating factories”. Alain Rousset, Président, Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region
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About Foxconn Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) (TWSE:2317) is the world’s largest electronics manufacturer and leading technology solutions provider, ranking 28th in Fortune Global 500. In 2025, revenue totaled TWD8.1 trillion (approx. USD260 billion). The Group’s market share in electronics manufacturing services (EMS) exceeds 40% and covers four major product segments: smart consumer electronics; cloud and networking; computing; and components and other. Operating over 240 campuses across 24 countries, Foxconn is one of the world’s largest employers with approx. 900,000 employees during peak manufacturing season. We are committed to sustainability in the manufacturing process and serving as a best-practice model for global enterprises. The Group is guided by its 3+3+3 strategy, actively investing in industries of electric vehicles, digital health, and robotics; in technologies of artificial intelligence, semiconductors and next-generation communications; in intelligent platforms of Smart Manufacturing, Smart EV and Smart City. Foxconn is dedicated to becoming a comprehensive, world-class enterprise, with AI as its core driving force. Learn more at www.foxconn.com/en-us About Radiall Founded in 1952, Radiall is a global manufacturer of advanced interconnect solutions, employing over 3,500 people worldwide. The company offers a comprehensive range of RF connectors and cables, coaxial switches, fiber optic and microwave components, multi-contact connectors and more, supported by an international presence ensuring close customer support. About Thales Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies. Its portfolio of innovative products and services helps address several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion. The Group allocates €4.5 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Quantum and Cloud technologies. Thales has more than 85,000 employees in 65 countries. In 2025, the Group generated sales of €22.1 billion. |