passage: IBM opened a sprawling and sophisticated semiconductor factory here on Wednesday that cost more than $ 2.5 billion to build and equip , the largest single capital investment the company has ever made .
  The factory , which opens as the computer chip business is in a slump , is a costly and risky move for IBM .
  But it is also an expression of confidence by the company that it can remain a technology leader in the highly competitive global semiconductor industry , and a commitment that the best place to execute that strategy is in upstate New York .
  IBM is an exception among computer makers in that it still invests heavily in research to advance the design , manufacture and materials used in semiconductor chips .
  It is spending more than $ 500 million a year on semiconductor research and development .
  The factory will produce a wide range of specialized semiconductors used in everything from the largest mainframe computers to cell phones and video - game consoles .
  The new plant is part of IBM 's push to gain a strong lead in chip - making beyond the personal computer business , where Intel and East Asian chip producers hold the advantage .
  " The core of our strategy is to lead in technology and attack the high - performance segments of the market , " said John Kelly , senior vice president in charge of IBM 's technology group .
  An advantage to having the semiconductor fabricating factory here , Kelly explained , was that it was very close to its research laboratories in nearby Westchester County , N.Y. To stay ahead in advanced chip technology , he said , moving innovations out of the labs and into the factory as fast as possible is crucial .
  " What we call the lab - to - fab time should be as close to zero as possible , " Kelly said .
  " If our strategy were anything but to be on the leading edge , we 'd have put the plant in Asia . "
  The new factory , which will begin normal production early next year , will employ about 1,000 people .
query_and_answer: What was the reason IBM did not put the new factory in Asia ? || They wanted to be close to their lab
evidences: " What we call the lab - to - fab time should be as close to zero as possible , " Kelly said . " If our strategy were anything but to be on the leading edge , we 'd have put the plant in Asia . " " The core of our strategy is to lead in technology and attack the high - performance segments of the market , " said John Kelly , senior vice president in charge of IBM 's technology group . An advantage to having the semiconductor fabricating factory here , Kelly explained , was that it was very close to its research laboratories in nearby Westchester County , N.Y. To stay ahead in advanced chip technology , he said , moving innovations out of the labs and into the factory as fast as possible is crucial .