Siemens and GlobalFoundries (GF) have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at enhancing semiconductor manufacturing through AI-driven advancements. This partnership seeks to make operations within advanced industries more efficient, secure, and reliable by leveraging the complementary strengths of both companies.
Under a new memorandum of understanding, Siemens and GF will focus on automation technologies for semiconductor fabrication, incorporating electrification, digital solutions, and software, spanning from chip development to product lifecycle management. By integrating AI-enabled software, sensors, and real-time control systems, both firms aim to meet the increasing demand for reliable semiconductors and autonomous platforms.
Strategic Deployment of AI in Manufacturing
A central component of this union is the implementation of AI-driven technologies in fab automation
A central component of this collaboration is the implementation of AI-driven technologies in fab automation.
By utilizing centralized control systems and predictive maintenance, Siemens and GF plan to improve equipment availability and operational efficiency in chip production, while expanding these capabilities to other advanced industries. The companies intend to apply these innovations within their operations to enhance their offerings.
Addressing the Surge in Semiconductor Demand
The partnership comes amid a surge in demand for semiconductors essential to sectors such as artificial intelligence, defense, energy, and connectivity. With new solutions on the horizon, Siemens and GF aim to foster industry growth, improve security, and enhance reliability.
"Our economy runs on Silicon – one wafer at a time," commented Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Digital Industries. "We're collaborating to make global semiconductor supply chains more resilient and support efficient localized manufacturing worldwide."
Emerging Applications of Secure, Locally Made Semiconductors
Siemens provides an extensive suite of industrial, energy, and building automation technologies
Tim Breen, CEO of GlobalFoundries, emphasized the significance of secure, locally produced semiconductors as integral to the AI transition from cloud services to physical applications. "Our collaboration with Siemens allows us to rapidly develop the technologies necessary for this transition," Breen noted.
Siemens provides an extensive suite of industrial, energy, and building automation technologies, including advanced software for chip design and fab automation. This comprehensive suite is central to enabling seamless collaboration throughout the semiconductor lifecycle, ensuring reliable and scalable solutions.
Customization and Scalability in Semiconductor Development
GlobalFoundries, bolstered by its subsidiary MIPS—a pioneer in RISC-V processor IP—contributes unique process technology and design expertise to accelerate the development of customized solutions. This strengthens Siemens’ initiative to develop autonomous platforms and AI chips on a larger scale.
Headquartered in the U.S. with a significant presence in Asia and Europe, GF is a prominent player in the global semiconductor industry. Notably, its Dresden facility represents Europe’s largest semiconductor production site, employing approximately 3,000 individuals.
Siemens and GlobalFoundries (GF) have entered a new strategic collaboration to leverage each company’s complementary AI-based capabilities to enhance performance of semiconductor manufacturing and advanced industries – making operations more efficient, secure and reliable.
In their latest memorandum of understanding, the companies focus on automation technologies for semiconductor fabrication (fab automation), electrification, digital solutions and software ranging from chip development to product lifecycle management.
New strategic collaboration
A key element of the new strategic collaboration is deployment of advanced AI-enabled software, sensors and real-time control systems in fab automation to meet the growing demand for reliable semiconductors and autonomous platforms.
Through centralized automation and predictive maintenance, GF and Siemens aim to increase equipment availability and operational efficiency in chip production while building capabilities that can be extended to other advanced industries. The companies intend to develop and deploy new solutions within their own operations to deliver enhanced offerings.
Demand for essential semiconductors
This expanded collaboration comes at a time of unprecedented demand for essential semiconductors and autonomous platforms in critical areas such as artificial intelligence, defense, energy and connectivity.
By teaming up and bringing new capabilities, Siemens and GF can support accelerated growth, better security and reliability and broaden their impact across the industry.
Bringing AI into the physical world
“Our economy runs on Silicon – one wafer at a time. Chips are critical for applications like robotics or connectivity and for bringing AI into the physical world and industry."
"We are collaborating to make global semiconductor supply chains more resilient and to enable efficient localized manufacturing around the world,” said Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO Digital Industries.
Range of next-generation applications
“Secure, locally manufactured semiconductors are at the core of the AI transition – from cloud to the physical world, bringing intelligence into devices we use every day and enabling applications we couldn’t imagine a few years ago,” said Tim Breen, CEO of GlobalFoundries.
“Our unique collaboration with Siemens allows us to go faster – to build the technologies that make this possible – differentiated, energy-efficient, connected and secure chips across a wide range of next-generation applications.”
Siemens’ suite of solutions
Siemens brings a comprehensive suite of industrial, energy & building automation and digitalization technologies, including advanced software for chip design & manufacturing, fab automation, and product lifecycle management.
Utilizing Siemens’ suite of solutions, GF and Siemens will enable seamless collaboration across the entire semiconductor lifecycle and deliver high-performance and reliable semiconductor solutions at scale.
Development and manufacturing of tailored solutions
GF, together with MIPS, a GF company and global pioneer in RISC-V processor IP, brings unique process technology and design capabilities to accelerate the development and manufacturing of tailored solutions that support Siemens' goal of enabling autonomous platforms and physical AI chips at scale.
GF is one of the world’s leading semiconductor foundries. The publicly listed U.S. company operates manufacturing facilities in the USA, Asia, and Europe. In Dresden, GlobalFoundries runs Europe’s largest semiconductor production site with around 3,000 employees.
