Intel and ARM, two major players in modern chipmaking, are joining forces in a partnership aimed at optimizing Intel’s upcoming 18A fabrication process for use with ARM designs and intellectual property. The agreement will not see Intel’s Foundry Services division producing chipsets for ARM directly, but rather, it will make it simpler for ARM licensees, such as Qualcomm and MediaTek, to work with Intel for chip manufacturing in the future.
Initially, the collaboration will focus on optimizing Intel 18A for mobile system-on-a-chip designs, with the potential to expand into silicon for cars, Internet of Things devices, and data centers. Moreover, Intel’s support for ARM licensees will go beyond wafer production, covering “packaging, software, and chiplets,” positioning Intel as a one-stop shop for companies looking to produce their ARM designs.
Intel also highlights the geopolitical implications of the partnership, stating that the collaboration “will enable a more balanced global supply chain for foundry customers working in mobile SoC design on Arm-based CPU cores.” Counterpoint Research estimates that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) currently produces nearly 70% of all critical chipsets for modern smartphones.
With recent military exercises surrounding Taiwan, concerns of an impending conflict on the island have risen.