Inside NVIDIA & Corning's US$500m US Data Centre Expansion

NVIDIA and Corning have formed a multi-year commercial and technology partnership to expand US manufacturing of advanced optical connectivity solutions.

The agreement includes US$500m in investment from NVIDIA, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The partnership is set to create three new manufacturing sites and more than 3,000 jobs. Corning's stock rose 17% after the announcement.

Optical infrastructure for AI

Modern AI workloads require thousands of NVIDIA GPUs.

These configurations demand high volumes of optical fibre, connectivity and photonics to move data at scale.

NVIDIA says that as AI factories grow larger and more numerous, optical connectivity becomes an important component of the AI infrastructure.

The company says the technology is needed to power what it describes as next generation AI infrastructure.

"AI is driving the largest infrastructure buildout of our time and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate American manufacturing and supply chains," says Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA.

Together with Corning, we are inventing the future of computing with advanced optical technologies, building the foundation for AI infrastructure where intelligence moves at the speed of light while advancing the proud tradition of Made in America."

Data centres deploying NVIDIA accelerated computing at hyperscale are set to receive optical connectivity supply from Corning's expanded capacity.

Manufacturing expansion in the US

Corning aims to increase its US optical connectivity manufacturing capacity by 10 times. The company is predicted expand its US fibre production capacity by more than 50% to meet demand from AI factory buildouts.

The expansion includes construction of three new advanced manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Texas. Corning invented low cost optical fibre in the 1970s.

The company signed a multi-year agreement with Meta in January of 2026 valued at US$6bn. That deal supplies Meta with optical fibre, cable and connectivity solutions.

Corning expanded manufacturing capabilities across its North Carolina operations to support the Meta agreement. The new NVIDIA partnership builds on the earlier Meta collaboration.

Workforce and manufacturing jobs

The partnership is set to create more than 3,000 new jobs in the US. These positions can aid in supporting the expansion manufacturing footprint across Corning's facilities.

"What NVIDIA is doing is nothing short of extraordinary, not just for the future of artificial intelligence, but for the American advanced manufacturing workforce," says Wendell P Weeks, chairman, CEO and president of Corning.

"Their commitment is directly fuelling the expansion of our US manufacturing footprint and creating more than 3,000 new, high-paying jobs for American workers."

"This partnership is proof that AI is not just a technology story. It is a manufacturing story and it is happening here in the US.

"Together with NVIDIA, we are ensuring the critical technologies powering AI are invented, engineered and built in America."

The deal could show how AI infrastructure buildout is creating demand for physical manufacturing capacity.

Corning's optical fibre is in demand during the buildout of data centres needed for AI applications.