Hot on the heels of announcing the reopening of Fab 12, our sources in Asia tells us that Intel has applied for a license with the Communist Party of Vietnam to open a brand new plant.

There hasn’t been a name released for the new plant or information about what it will produce but we know that it will be located in Ho Chi Minh City -- previously known as Saigon. The southern part of the city, known as Hi-tech Park, will be the location for the new plant.

Currently, 24% of the total exporting done by the region is to the US with industrial products and transportation and telecommunication technologies taking the top spot. Intel is said to be investing roughly $650 million US dollars into the project and the plant is estimated to staff over 2000 workers.

Our sources indicated that Intel Hong Kong will be leading the project. Ho Chi Minh City, being the economic center of Vietnam is a prime choice for Intel, especially considering that 30% of the city’s population are Master and Ph.D holders.