Intel’s “roadmap of process and packaging innovations” will be detailed this month

The future of Intel isn’t just in its processors. Intel’s future is its IDM 2.0 strategy, which will see the company move from being a CPU provider to become a high-end semiconductor manufacturer for a global customer base. Intel wants to enter the market niche of semiconductor fabricators like TSMC and Globalfoundries, becoming a force that will help decentralise high-end semiconductor manufacturing. 

Part of this goal requires Intel to be more transparent about its semiconductor process and packaging technologies, offering a clear roadmap to their customers while highlighting what Intel’s IP can do for them. This is what Intel’s July 26th “Intel Accelerated” webcast is all about. During this event, CEO Pat Gelsinger and Dr Ann Kelleher, senior vice president and general manager of Technology Development, will showcase what IDM 2.0 means for Intel and the world. 

What is IDM 2.0

IDM stands for Integrated Device Manufacturer, a term used for companies that both design and build their own semiconductor products. With IDM 2.0, Intel plans to broaden its approach to its foundries, moving away from its self-focused manufacturing model to adopt a model more akin to TSMC, Globalfoundries and Samsung’s foundry offerings.   

Internally, Intel plans to utilise external fabs when advantageous to create their own products, allowing core Intel products to be produced outside of Intel’s foundries. This will help Intel to be as competitive as possible within its traditional markets, but this is only a small part of Intel’s broader IDM 2.0 strategy. 

The bulk of IDM 2.0 is Intel’s focus on external customers. Intel wants to offer its manufacturing capabilities to the world, allowing the company to profit from external product designs. In this way, Intel plans to compete with the likes of TSMC, Globalfoundries and Samsung, helping to decentralise the semiconductor market. 

Intel’s IDM 2.0 strategy comes at the perfect time for the global semiconductor market. The world faces a semiconductor manufacturing shortage, and governments are becoming all too aware of how centralised the high-end semiconductor market has gotten. Most of the world’s semiconductors come from Asia, and Intel is investing billions to produce more chips in the US and Europe. 

IDM 2.0 will see Intel expand its manufacturing capabilities to handle its own manufacturing loads and that of external clients. Intel needs to garner the interest of foundry clients to make their IDM 2.0 strategy successful, and Intel’s planned “Intel Accelerated” webcast is designed to achieve. Intel needs to showcase their plans for Intel Foundry Services and prove to clients that they can be trusted to produce their future products.