Semiconductor News & Industry Developments
From Intel’s first 18A client SoC to multi-billion-dollar semiconductor investments across Europe, India and the U.S., October delivered pivotal developments in chip manufacturing, AI compute and next-gen system architectures.
Below, you’ll find curated news highlights, technical reads and must-watch videos that explore the future of semiconductors.
Intel Unveils Panther Lake Advanced Semiconductor Technology
Intel introduced Panther Lake, its first client SoC built on the advanced Intel 18A node. Part of the Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 3, the platform is being manufactured at the company’s Fab 52 facility in Chandler, Arizona. Marking the first 2nm-class node developed and produced in the U.S., Intel 18A promises up to 15% better performance per watt and 30% improved chip density compared to Intel 3.
Graphcore Plans $1.3B Investment to Accelerate India’s AI Chip Sector
UK-based Graphcore revealed plans to invest USD 1.3B in India over the next decade, supporting AI semiconductor development and ramping up local R&D capacity. The move highlights India’s growing role in global AI compute infrastructure and accelerator design strategies.
Alchip Joins Arm Total Design Ecosystem
Alchip joined the Arm Total Design ecosystem, expanding collaboration on high-performance Arm-based SoCs, particularly for HPC and AI acceleration. The partnership is expected to streamline advanced tape-outs and accelerate next-generation chip development cycles.
SEALSQ Announces Development of QASIC, a Quantum-Resistant ASIC
SEALSQ shared plans for QASIC, a quantum-resistant semiconductor platform developed with IC’Alps. The design targets secure identity, IoT and cybersecurity markets as post-quantum cryptography requirements scale worldwide.
Athos Spins Out Of Mercedes With Chiplet Architecture for Autonomous Vehicles
Athos, a Mercedes-Benz spin-out, emerged with a chiplet-based compute platform designed to deliver scalable AI performance for autonomous vehicles. The startup aims to advance modular silicon architectures tailored for ADAS and AV compute stacks.
Microchip Launches 3nm PCIe Gen 6 Switches for AI & HPC
Microchip released the industry’s first PCIe Gen 6 switches fabricated on a 3nm node, targeting high-bandwidth AI, data center and HPC platforms. The devices promise ultra-low latency and significantly increased throughput for next-gen accelerators.
UK Semiconductor Centre Announced
The UK government formally announced the location and interim leadership for the UK Semiconductor Centre, supporting domestic R&D, skills development and advanced chip innovation as part of its long-term semiconductor strategy.
NVIDIA and TSMC Produce First U.S.-Made Blackwell Wafer
NVIDIA and TSMC celebrated production of the first U.S.-manufactured Blackwell wafer, marking a milestone for domestic advanced packaging and leading-edge GPU production capabilities.
Anthropic Expands TPU Investment With Google Cloud TPUs and Services
Anthropic announced a significant expansion of its TPU footprint on Google Cloud, further scaling training and deployment capacity for frontier-model development and enterprise AI workloads.
Synopsys Highlights Agentic AI & Accelerated Computing at NVIDIA GTC
At NVIDIA GTC Washington DC, Synopsys showcased advancements in agentic AI, accelerated computing and AI physics technologies, signalling continued momentum in AI-driven EDA automation and hardware co-design.
GlobalFoundries pledges €1.1bn to expand chip production
GlobalFoundries confirmed a €1.1B expansion investment focused on scaling production for automotive, industrial, and security-focused chips – reinforcing demand for mature and specialty nodes.
NVIDIA Announce €1B German AI Data Centre Plans
NVIDIA revealed plans to invest €1B in a German AI datacenter, expanding European compute infrastructure and supporting enterprise AI adoption across the region.
Technical Reads & Research Highlights
| Title | Source |
|---|---|
| Simulation-driven electronic systems design: Using simulation to accelerate innovation by building high performing and reliable designs | Siemens via TechOnline |
| How To Cool 3D-ICs | SemiEngineering |
| Winning the silicon race: Three strategies to secure AI advantage | IBM |
| How 3D-IC Will Change Chip Design | SemiEngineering |
| Raising the Bar in Mission-Critical Verification: Aerospace and Defense Trends Analysis of FPGA Design Practices | Siemens |
| Just a Tap: NFC’s Role in Smarter Healthcare Devices | EETimes |
| How ASICs are unlocking new potential in UK manufacturing | Manufacturing Today |
| A logically correct SoC design isn’t an optimized design | EDN |
| A Guide to Building Chiplets Today While Shaping Tomorrow’s Standards | EETimes |
| Powering Efficiency: AI Transforms IC Manufacturing As ICs Fuel AI | SemiEngineering |
| Using Virtual Twins To Accelerate The Transition From Layout To Semiconductor Manufacturing | SemiEngineering |
Videos
Explore the latest videos covering chip design, verification, semiconductor manufacturing and more from the world of semiconductors:
- Multi-Die Verification: In this SemiEngineering video, Paul Graykowski, director of product marketing at Cadence Design Systems, discusses the complexities of verifying multi-die systems.
- Ansys – Hardware and Software in the Loop: Catch up on this short Keysight Theater session from DAC 2025 presented by Garth Sundberg, Senior Principal Application Engineer at Ansys.
- Inside EUV Lithography: Branch Education breaks down how a $200M EUV machine prints chips at sub-nanometer scales, covering optics plasma light sources and the physics enabling leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing.
- High Yield on Advanced Chiplet Design: Explore how AMD chiplet architecture is evolving to meet next-gen performance, efficiency and packaging challenges across AI and data-center workloads.
Your Monthly Roundup: What’s Next for Semiconductors?
From leading-edge process nodes to sovereign semiconductor investment and breakthroughs in advanced AI compute, October underscored the momentum across global chip ecosystems.
Stay tuned for our November edition – spotlighting the latest developments in chip design, verification, manufacturing and AI hardware strategy, along with technical deep dives and research picks for engineering teams.