It's been a busy summer of partnerships, acquisitions, and fab expansions for GlobalFoundries. What does this say about the company's silicon roadmap?
For years, the semiconductor industry has been stretched thin by global supply chain risks and growing demand from artificial intelligence, mobile devices, and automotive electronics. As governments and manufacturers race to bring production closer to home, GlobalFoundries (GF) is positioning itself as a central player in reshoring capacity and building the next generation of chips.
GF's Packaging and Photonics Center in New York. Image used courtesy of GlobalFoundries
Over the past three months, the company has announced several moves that collectively reshape its roadmap: a $16 billion U.S. investment, the acquisition of processor IP firm MIPS, and an expanded partnership with Apple.
Apple Partnership: Fulfilling Power Management and Wireless Demand
In August, GF signed an agreement with Apple to deepen a decade-long relationship in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in the U.S. Apple gains a secure U.S. manufacturing partner that can produce wireless connectivity and power management chips critical to iPhones and future AI-enabled devices. For GF, the deal represents guaranteed demand at scale, which supports further expansion of its Malta, New York fab.
What Apple contributes here is more than purchase orders; it offers validation that GF’s differentiated processes are competitive with the world’s top foundries. By locking in Apple’s power-efficient silicon programs, GF reinforces its role in supplying chips that balance performance with energy savings, a theme central to mobile and edge AI adoption. For engineers, the impact should begin showing up at the silicon level within the next product cycles, as Apple devices start incorporating GF-built components produced under this program.
Acquiring MIPS: RISC-V IP for the Edge AI Era
GF recently completed its acquisition of MIPS, a company with deep roots in processor architecture and a renewed focus on RISC-V–based cores. The deal adds processor IP, development tools, and design platforms directly into GF’s portfolio.
What GF gains here is intellectual property that can ride on top of its manufacturing processes. Rather than being only a contract manufacturer, GF can now offer customers integrated silicon solutions, pairing foundry services with compute IP suited for AI, automotive, and industrial edge applications. MIPS’ Atlas core family and Atlas Explorer platform give GF the ability to help customers optimize performance, power, and area earlier in the design cycle.
The significance for hardware engineers is clear: rather than starting with off-the-shelf cores, customers working with GF will have access to customizable IP that is already tuned for GF’s nodes. That shortens time-to-market and improves design efficiency. Engineers could see MIPS-driven GF silicon offerings as early as 2026.
A $16 Billion Investment: Expanding U.S. Fab Capacity
In June, GF announced a $16 billion plan to expand its manufacturing footprint in Malta, New York, and Essex Junction, Vermont. The investment will add new cleanroom space, advanced lithography equipment, and a dedicated advanced packaging and photonics center in New York. The Vermont facility will focus on gallium nitride (GaN) for next-generation power electronics. Together, the two sites will serve as anchors for U.S. semiconductor capacity and innovation.
A look inside a clean room in GF's Packaging and Photonics Center. Image used courtesy of GlobalFoundries and Forbes
The expansion delivers both scale and technology leadership. Major partners such as AMD, Qualcomm, NXP, SpaceX, and General Motors will gain a secure U.S.-based supply of critical chips, while engineers will gain early access to innovations in silicon photonics, 3D heterogeneous integration, and FD-SOI platforms optimized for low-power edge devices.
Customers may see more resources and support from this expansion as early as 2026, but the most advanced GaN and photonics lines will not reach high-volume production until the latter half of the decade. By that time, engineers should expect to see U.S.-built GF technology powering data-center interconnects, edge AI devices, and high-efficiency automotive platforms.
Reading the Roadmap Ahead
Taken together, these three announcements show a company evolving beyond its traditional role as a foundry. With Apple, GF secures long-term demand for specialized, high-volume silicon. With MIPS, it gains the compute IP to differentiate itself in AI and edge markets. And with a $16 billion domestic expansion, it puts capacity behind both moves, reinforcing U.S. manufacturing at a time when supply chain resiliency is a national priority. Global Foundries is signaling a new identity—not only as a secure U.S. foundry but also as a supplier of differentiated silicon solutions where performance, efficiency, and supply security converge.
