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OpenAI and SoftBank Partner to Reindustrialize Rust Belt for AI

New manufacturing deal brings data center supply chain to Ohio and Wisconsin.

Olivia Sharp 1 min read 696 views
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OpenAI, SoftBank, and Foxconn announced a partnership to manufacture AI data center equipment in Ohio and Wisconsin, including a $3B SoftBank investment.

OpenAI, Foxconn, and SoftBank solidified a massive industrial partnership aimed at reshoring the AI hardware supply chain to the American Midwest. The alliance focuses on manufacturing the physical components of data centers—racks, cooling systems, and networking gear—within the United States.

The SoftBank Investment

SoftBank, led by Masayoshi Son, confirmed a $3 billion investment to retrofit a former electric vehicle plant in Lordstown, Ohio. This facility will be converted into a dedicated manufacturing hub for OpenAI’s data center equipment. * Pivot from Auto: The move symbolizes the "energy-compute substitution" in the US economy, where idle automotive capacity is being repurposed …

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