In a groundbreaking collaboration, industry-leading Semiconductor companies including Robert Bosch, Infineon Technologies, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP Semiconductors, and Qualcomm Technologies have joined forces to invest in a new venture focused on advancing the adoption of RISC-V architecture.
The primary goal of this joint initiative is to accelerate the commercialization of cutting-edge products based on the open-source RISC-V architecture. By creating a unified platform, the company aims to enable the development of compatible RISC-V based products, provide reference architectures, and establish solutions widely used across the industry.
Initially, the Germany-based company will concentrate on applications in the automotive sector, taking advantage of RISC-V’s potential in shaping the future of smart mobility. As vehicles become increasingly software-defined and the demand for dependable and efficient semiconductor solutions grows due to trends like electrification, connectivity, and autonomous driving, standardization and ecosystem compatibility have become crucial requirements for the industry.
Jens Fabrowsky, Executive Vice President at Bosch and responsible for the semiconductor business, expressed his conviction that promoting RISC-V open specifications will be a significant step forward for the global mobility market. He believes that the initiative will play a crucial role in establishing a robust and efficient EU-based semiconductor ecosystem.
Peter Schiefer, Division President of Infineon’s Automotive Division, highlighted the need for standardization and ecosystem compatibility in the automotive industry. As vehicles become more complex and technology-driven, CPUs play a key role in enabling the industry’s advancements.
Svein-Egil Nielsen, CTO/EVP R&D and Strategy at Nordic Semiconductor, emphasized the importance of maintaining access to efficient and powerful embedded microprocessors to retain their leading position in IoT solutions, particularly in low-power wireless technology.
Lars Reger, Chief Technology Officer at NXP Semiconductors, expressed pride in being part of the new EU-based joint endeavor to pioneer fully certified RISC-V-based IP and architectures, primarily catering to the automotive industry. The establishment of a one-stop-shop ecosystem is expected to fuel the adoption of RISC-V across various European industries.
Ziad Asghar, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, reiterated their long-term commitment to RISC-V, showcasing their five-year investment and integration of RISC-V micro-controllers into their commercial platforms. Qualcomm believes that RISC-V’s open-source instruction set will drive innovation across the industry.
As this powerful alliance of semiconductor giants comes together, the technology world eagerly awaits the groundbreaking advancements that will emerge from their collaborative efforts. The future of open-source RISC-V architecture appears promising as it aims to revolutionize industries beyond automotive, expanding its reach to encompass mobile and IoT solutions.
