Nokia today announced a major expansion of its advanced test and packaging (ATP) operations in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The investment will increase domestic production capacity of the optical networking technologies that power scalable AI infrastructure connectivity across the United States. The expansion is expected to nearly double Nokia’s Pennsylvania workforce to more than 500 jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and R&D, while generating a projected economic impact of more than $500M over the next five years.

Today, less than two percent of global semiconductor ATP takes place in the U.S. Nokia’s Allentown facility is one of only a few in the U.S. providing ATP of photonic chips into optical modules for use in AI and telecom infrastructure. Through investment in new manufacturing equipment and an expanded manufacturing footprint, Nokia is increasing the site’s production capacity by up to 10 times its current level, with new capacity expected to be commercially available by the end of the third quarter.

Nokia’s optical technologies provide advanced connectivity solutions for telecom networks to enable AI infrastructure and can reduce energy usage by as much as 75 percent. Nokia’s investment results in the domestic manufacturing of components used in AI infrastructure, creates new jobs, and significantly reduces energy usage in AI communications.

“The AI supercycle is fundamentally reshaping network and infrastructure requirements in the U.S. and globally. Our expansion in Allentown is a direct investment in that future—scaling domestic manufacturing of the optical networking technologies that power AI infrastructure. It also reflects the strong partnership between Nokia, the United States, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to support advanced manufacturing, create jobs, and strengthen U.S. technology leadership and global competitiveness,” said Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia.

“Nokia is doubling down on the Lehigh Valley and ensuring that the future of chip production continues to run through this region because we’ve made smart investments to make Pennsylvania more competitive and proven that our Commonwealth is a great place to do business,” said Governor Shapiro. “As demand for semiconductors continues to grow across industries, we’ll continue to position Pennsylvania as a leader in innovation, with a supportive, thriving business climate that helps companies compete on a global scale. From advanced manufacturing to the research and development of new technology like advanced chip packaging, Pennsylvania has all the resources to be a world leader in chip production.”

“This is great news for Pennsylvania. Nokia is doubling its local workforce to more than 500 good-paying jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and R&D, all while expanding our ability to domestically produce the critical technologies that power AI infrastructure. This matters for both our economy and our national security,” said Senator Dave McCormick. “These technologies also help cut energy use in AI communications, showing that we can lead on innovation while also smartly managing our resources at the same time.”

“Nokia’s investment in Pennsylvania is directly advancing America’s AI leadership,” said Bill Frauenhofer, Executive Director of Semiconductor Investment and Innovation at the Department of Commerce. “Supported by CHIPS and Science Act funding, Nokia is deepening its commitment to innovation and the production of photonic chips in the United States. This project enables critical optical technology and strengthens America’s semiconductor supply chain.”

“Nokia’s latest investment is further proof that the Lehigh Valley is becoming a world leader in advanced manufacturing,” said U.S. Congressman Ryan Mackenzie. “With the help of our unparalleled, highly-skilled workforce, Nokia’s local expansion will help our region continue to drive innovation and build the tools behind next-generation technologies. Congratulations to Nokia and the hundreds of local workers who will benefit from this investment.”

The investment includes approximately $30 million from Nokia, which includes bipartisan support of approximately $4 million in assistance from the state of Pennsylvania and approximately $10 million in federal CHIPS investment tax credit. This expansion is part of Nokia’s multi-year plan to invest $4 billion in R&D and manufacturing in the U.S. for AI-ready network connectivity. It is designed to bolster domestic supply chains for critical communications infrastructure, reinforce U.S. leadership in the technologies shaping the global AI economy and solidify Pennsylvania’s growing role as a hub for advanced manufacturing, telecommunications technology and AI infrastructure.

As we march toward July Fourth, you may start hearing more and more about America’s birthday.

What folks mean by that is that this year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which, technically speaking, was the birth of our nation.

The Providence Journal has presented stories all year about the state’s history, its role in the founding of America and its plans for celebrating this momentous occasion.

What makes this July 4 different

Across the country, and even here in Rhode Island, celebrations are planned not just for July Fourth, but throughout the year. As well, we at The Providence Journal have taken the opportunity to look at important moments in our Revolutionary War history, but also − since this semiquincentennial offers an opportunity to show our pride − we are taking a look at the many things that make Rhode Island special: legacy companies, quirks and traditions, watershed moments and more.

Explore and celebrate America:  Subscribe to our weekly USA 250 newsletter. 

Where to celebrate with parades

Bristol presents the granddaddy of them all: America’s oldest continuous Fourth of July parade steps off July 4 at 10:30 a.m. from the corner of Chestnut Street and Hope Street (Route 114) and ends on High Street, between State Street and Bradford Street.

But the parade is just the culmination of weeks worth of celebrating that includes concerts, fireworks, a carnival and more.

According to the town, the official and historic Celebration, Patriotic Exercises, was established in 1785 by the Rev. Henry Wight of the First Congregational Church and veteran of the Revolutionary War. The celebration officially starts with Flag Day on June 14. To learn more about the townwide celebration, visit www.fourthofjulybristolri.com.

How to celebrate with fireworks

Bristol: Fireworks show will be over Bristol Harbor on Friday, July 3, starting at 9:30 p.m.

Newport: Fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. on July 4. Fort Adams offers an evening of live music, family fun, and one of the best views of Newport’s fireworks over the harbor. Food trucks will be on site, and guests are welcome to bring picnics, blankets, and lawn chairs. Bouncy houses and lawn games will be available for all ages. Admission is free, but registration is required for access to the parade field and on-site parking.

North Kingstown: Music and fireworks are once again on tap at North Kingstown’s annual Independence Day celebration, set this year for Saturday, July 4. The Lafayette Band will present a free concert beginning at 7 p.m., at the North Kingstown Town Beach, 15 Beach St., Wickford. Music director Charles Johnson will conduct a program of patriotic and popular music. The town’s traditional fireworks display will follow, beginning at approximately 9 p.m. Audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating. In case of rain, the concert and fireworks would be postponed to Monday, July 6. Check for updates posted on www.northkingstownri.gov, www.lafayettebandri.org, and www.facebook.com/LafayetteBand.RI.

Pawtucket: RIFC will play Orange County SC on July 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Centerville Bank Stadium, with a special Independence Day fireworks show after.

South Kingstown: The annual Fourth of July celebration takes place Saturday, July 4, from 5 to 10 p.m. at Old Mountain Field, 831 Kingstown Road in Wakefield. This family-friendly community event includes live entertainment, local food, family activities and a spectacular fireworks display. For additional information and event updates related to weather, residents are encouraged to visit theTown’s website at www.southkingstownri.gov and follow the Town of South Kingstown on socialmedia.

What makes celebrating in RI uniquely American?

During this season of celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Rhode Island stands out, along with the other original 13 colonies. What makes Rhode Island so special? In a word, history. And here are some of the best places for a refresher course on the Ocean State’s role in the founding of this country.

Benefit Street in Providence offers visitors so much more than a pleasant stroll down a historic road filled with colorful homes and historical architecture. The street is “renowned not only for its Colonial and Early Federal buildings, but also for its mix of later 19th- and 20th-century buildings. Important civic, cultural, and religious institutions, mingled with private residences, add diversity and vitality to the neighborhood,” according to the Providence Preservation Society’s Guide to Benefit Street.  

Built in 1793 by Samuel Slater, Slater Mill was the first successful water-powered cotton-spinning mill in America, and is therefore credited with being the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Now called Old Slater Mill, the mill offers guided tours on Fridays and Saturdays during the spring, and expanding to Thursdays through Sundays in the summer. In 1920, the mill was restored to its 1830 condition.

Coggeshall Farm in Bristol recreates the daily experience of tenant farmers on a salt marsh farm in the late 18th century. Interpreters in period dress (clothing is made by the costumers at Old Sturbridge Village, its partner museum) give demonstrations in sheep shearing, weaving, maple sugaring and cooking according to 18th-century recipes in the 1790s farmhouse, which is original to the site. Visitors will see the wood shop, the blacksmith shop, the 18th-century garden, farm animals and the 1790s farmhouse, complete with spinning wheels and burning hearth (spoiler alert: It’s a lot smaller and more rustic than modern-day folks are used to).

Fort Barton is a Revolutionary War redoubt − you can even see the original earthen fortifications. On at least two occasions in 1777 and 1778, American forces gathered here in the thousands in attempts to upend the British occupation. Located atop a hill overlooking a narrow sea passage separating Tiverton from Aquidneck Island, it provided a strategic location for artillery positions to prevent the British from crossing over from the island. American colonists watched the British troops on Aquidneck Island from Fort Barton in 1778, as they prepared for the Battle of Rhode Island. Nearly 11,000 troops staged here in August 1778, to cross Sakonnet Passage and drive the British out of Newport. Among the militia and troops to gather here were John Hancock, Paul Revere, Major-General Nathanael Greene, and Marquis d’Lafayette. The British occupation ended after the Battle of Rhode Island on Aug. 29, 1778 − the last significant battle in the north.

Nathanael Greene Homestead, 50 Taft St., Coventry. Nathanael Greene was second in command (to George Washington) of the Continental Army. While helping run his father’s Coventry mill − a huge foundry complex, with seven waterwheels, seven forges and three trip hammers, and 100 workers − Greene studied military affairs on his own and was one of a few Rhode Islanders rushing to Lexington and Concord after the first battle of the Revolution broke out there. Soon after, the General Assembly mustered a 1,600-man Rhode Island regiment and named Greene its commander. Greene was soon leading armies throughout the Colonies, ultimately heading to rescue a faltering effort in the critical southern theater. The Greene Homestead is a 14-room, 2½-story house built in 1770 that Greene referred to as Spell Hall in his letters. Besides the library, the first floor of the house includes a dining room, parlor and kitchen, each having a paneled fireplace. The bedrooms were on the second floor, off a central hallway. Four enslaved people worked as servants in the house. The 50-acre property, with 3,000 feet of frontage on the Pawtuxet River, is private, but the public is allowed to hike through the fields and on a network of paths.

Jamestown Windmill, which dates back to 1787, is both a windmill (powered by wind) and a gristmill (it ground grain). Owned and maintained by the Jamestown Historical Society, the windmill is open from 1 to 4 p.m. every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays through Oct. 12, 2026, weather permitting, or by appointment. But when it’s open, you do get to climb to the top, catch a stunning view from the upper windows and see how the gears and grinding actually worked. You can see displays of what the corn and cornmeal looked like. You get to touch a “sail” (that’s the material that goes on the big, turning arms of the windmill). There are plenty of old photos (one even shows the mill in 1890) and a model of the windmill. As part of the celebration of America’s 250th, Windmill Day will be held July 25, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors will be able to watch the windmill turn with the sails on; take tours; play games such as cornhole and quoits, roll hoops, or walk with stilts; enjoy Rhode Island jonnycakes and lemonade as well as food trucks; and listen to live music. Admission is free; the Jamestown Windmill is located at 378 North Road.

The Rhode Island places everyone should see 

The Cliff Walk is a 3.5-mile path of varying character, from wooded trail above the waves to skirting the lawns of Gilded Age mansions to scrambling across the rocky cliffs themselves. It can be taken in small chunks or the entire length can be walked, though a short section that collapsed into the sea requires a one-block detour on the edge of the Salve Regina University campus. How to get there: The Cliff Walk is not a single place, but a 3.5 mile path with more than half a dozen entrances along the route. For full details, including advice on where to park, consult the official website at https://www.discovernewport.org/things-to-do/cliff-walk.