In 2024, Silicon Box announced an investment of €3.2 billion to build a first-of-its-kind semiconductor assembly and testing facility in Piedmont, Italy. This initiative is projected to create 1,600 new highly skilled jobs and aligns with the EU's strategic goal to produce 20% of the world's semiconductors by 2030. This milestone marks Silicon Box's first manufacturing expansion beyond Singapore. "I believe in Italy's fundamental education of science and technology, as well as in Italian passion to achieve excellence for advancing the semiconductor industry. Together, [Silicon Box aims] to establish Italy as a center of the semiconductor renaissance," Dr. Han added.
The award recognizes Dr. Han’s exceptional contributions to onshore advanced integration and packaging technology in Italy, strengthening the wider EU semiconductor ecosystem

ROME, ITALY, 15 April 2025 -- Silicon Box co-founder and CEO, Dr. Byung Joon “BJ” Han, an influential figure in the semiconductor industry, has been awarded the 2025 Leonardo International Award. The recognition was presented by Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, in honor of Dr. Han’s significant contributions to Italy's technological landscape through highly innovative and strategically important investments that create valuable employment opportunities.
“I am truly humbled to receive this recognition as a contributor to Italy’s industry,” said Dr. Han. “I dedicate this award to the employees of Silicon Box who have contributed in our mission to revolutionize the semiconductor industry with innovative and sustainable technologies. I share this achievement with my Silicon Box co-founders and lifelong friends, Weili Dai and Dr. Sehat Sutardja.”
The Leonardo Award 2025 Ceremony took place at Villa Madama in Rome, in the presence of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In a compelling closing address, Prime Minister Meloni emphasized the importance of resilience, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit in defining Italian excellence. Drawing on the Latin proverb “verba movement, exempla trahunt” - “words move people, examples compel them” - Ms. Meloni highlighted how initiatives celebrating Italian achievement serve not merely as celebrations but as inspirational teaching moments.

The event was attended by many distinguished guests including Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, President of Confindustria (Italy's association for manufacturing and service companies) Emanuele Orsini, and Vice Presidente of Agenzia ICE (Italian Trade Agency) Matteo Zoppas, who also presented awards. Italian Ambassador to Singapore, Dante Brandi was present to support the achievement of Dr. Han for bringing the first Singapore-based winner for a Leonardo International Award and strengthening economic and cultural ties between the two countries. “Dr. Han’s recognition is a clear signal of the growing economic cooperation between Italy and Singapore, built on shared values of innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth,” said Dante Brandi, Italian Ambassador to Singapore. “Silicon Box’s investment in Italy is not only a significant technological achievement, but also a strong bridge between two countries committed to excellence.
The annual awards ceremony is organized by Comitato Leonardo – Italian Quality Committee, established in 1993 on the common initiative of Confindustria, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and a group of top entrepreneurs, with the aim of promoting and establishing Italian Quality around the world. The Leonardo International Award is only presented on occasion, when a person whose outstanding professional activity has significantly contributed to cultural and economic ties between Italy and their respective countries. Dr. Han’s recognition by Comitato Leonardo underscores the critical role that innovation and international collaboration play in today’s global economy.
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Contact us for:
Media: janice.yeo@silicon-box.com
Investors: mike.han@silicon-box.com
Forward looking statement:
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such statements include: our manufacturing expansion and investment plans and expectations in the European Union (EU) and the anticipated benefits therefrom; anticipated supplier, ecosystem, community, and government support and approval for our planned EU investments and anticipated benefits related to such support; environmental plans for and benefits from our factories and technologies; and other characterizations of future plans, expectations, events, or circumstances.
Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied, including: changes in demand for our products; Silicon Box’s failure to realize the anticipated benefits of its strategy, plans, and proposed transactions; construction delays or changes in plans due to business, economic, or other factors; increases in capital requirements and changes in capital investment plans; adverse changes in anticipated government incentives and associated approval related to Silicon Box’s planned EU investments; adverse legislative or other government actions; insufficient ecosystem support; the impact of macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; and other risks and uncertainties described in this press release.
All information in this press release reflects management’s views as of the date hereof unless an earlier date is specified. We do not undertake, and expressly disclaim any duty, to update such statements, whether as a result of new information, new developments, or otherwise, except to the extent that disclosure may be required by law.
About Silicon Box
Silicon Box is an advanced semiconductor packaging company, specializing in cutting edge integration technology and manufacturing processes. We offer solutions that enable chiplet architecture, as well as high performance alternatives to traditional packaging schemes. Leveraging our proprietary technology, 30 years of multi-sectoral expertise, and relationships with best-in-class partners, we strive to solve the unique challenges of chiplet adoption to build the emergent technologies shaping the world around us today.
Silicon Box was founded in 2021 by Dr. Byung Joon (BJ) Han, Dr. Sehat Sutardja, and Weili Dai. Dr. Han was previously the Chairman, CEO and CTO of the world’s 3rd largest outsourced assembly and test provider, STATS ChipPAC (SSE: 600584) for two decades, taking the company to $4B in revenue during his tenure. Dr. Han is the inventor of many of the most advanced packaging solutions in today’s market, and his team at Silicon Box holds standing records for yield in advanced packaging technology at wafer-level production. Dr. Sutardja introduced the concept of chiplets at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in 2015. He and Weili Dai founded Marvell Technology Group (NASDAQ: MRVL) in 1995 and ran the company for twenty years from a start-up to an over $50B market value company.
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