Qualcomm & Partners Boost RISC-V Development

In a recent development, Qualcomm has partnered with prominent chip design companies like NXP, Nordic, Bosch, and Infineon to invest in a novel venture. Their collective aim is to drive the widespread adoption and progression of RISC-V technology, in direct competition with Arm's offerings, by providing strong support for next-gen hardware.

This new entity, headquartered in Germany, is geared towards expediting the commercialization of upcoming products built on the open-source RISC-V framework. It will act as a central hub for RISC-V-compatible products, offering reference designs and contributing to the establishment of universally embraced industry solutions. Initial focus will be on automotive applications, with expansion plans encompassing mobile and IoT domains.

RISC-V, an open-source chip standard, presents the potential to replace proprietary IP during certain phases of semiconductor design, promising cost-effectiveness and broader accessibility. Despite being relatively young, this standard is making steady strides forward.

At its core, RISC-V promotes innovation by empowering companies to create cutting-edge custom hardware based on the open-source instruction set. Wider adoption of RISC-V technology promises a more diverse electronics landscape, enabling smaller players to enter the field while providing scalability options for established giants.

The initiative is calling upon industry associations, leaders, and governments to unite in backing this endeavor, which holds the potential to fortify the resilience of the broader semiconductor ecosystem.

This collaborative effort is a strategic response to ongoing concerns about an overreliance on Arm's architecture, which dominates the smartphone market and is rapidly infiltrating larger devices, data centers, and vehicles. Notably, Arm is gearing up for an IPO valued at approximately $60-70 billion next month.