Intel outlines plans to ramp chip production

Intel has announced plans to establish committed foundry capacity at its facility in Ireland and to launch the Intel Foundry Services Accelerator to help automotive chip designers transition to advanced nodes. For this, the company is standing up a new design team and offering both custom and industry-standard intellectual property (IP) to support the unique needs of automotive customers.

During his first in-person keynote since taking the helm of Intel in February, CEO Pat Gelsinger predicted that semiconductors will account for more than 20% of the total premium vehicle bill of materials by 2030. That represents a five times growth rate over 2019’s 4% figure.

Gelsinger described the situation as both a massive challenge and enormous opportunity, reminding the audience that Intel has plans to build at least two new semiconductor factories in Europe, with plans for future investments that could reach more than $94.8 billion over the next decade.

Intel Foundry Services, announced in March, is actively engaged in discussions with potential customers in Europe – including automotive companies and their suppliers. Today most automotive chips are manufactured using legacy process technologies. As automotive applications transition to rely on more high-performance processing, chips are also beginning to migrate to more advanced process technologies. Intel says it is partnering with leading automotive players and committing significant resources in Europe to help drive this transition around the globe in the coming years.