Chip design center to be built by MediaTek, Indiana Purdue University

Robert Besser
02 Jul 2022, 11:37 GMT+10

The world's fourth largest chip designer by revenue, Taiwan's MediaTek, has told Reuters that it plans to create a new design center in Indiana, in partnership with Purdue University
MediaTek, which makes processors for many Android phones and smart speakers, has not revealed how much it would invest, but said it will receive $1.4 million from the state of Indiana
The company added that it will hire engineers from leading schools in Indiana and nearby states for its design centers in California and the Northeast

TAIPEI, Taiwan: The world's fourth largest chip designer by revenue, Taiwan's MediaTek, has told Reuters that it plans to create a new design center in Indiana, in partnership with Purdue University.

MediaTek, which makes processors for many Android phones and smart speakers, has not revealed how much it would invest, but said it will receive $1.4 million from the state of Indiana.

In a statement, Dr. Kou-Hung Lawrence Loh, corporate senior vice president of MediaTek and president of MediaTek USA, said, "Being in Indiana means we will have access to some of the best engineering talent in the world," as quoted by Reuters.

The company added that it will hire engineers from leading schools in Indiana and nearby states for its design centers in California and the Northeast, and it also plans to endow a professorship at Purdue to compete for federal research grants, noting its plans will receive a significant boost if a bill to support the chip industry is approved by Congress.

The announcement comes after Taiwan's GlobalWafers said it will build a $5 billion silicon wafer plant in Sherman, Texas.

A global shortage of semiconductor chips is continuing to affect supply chains, forcing some automotive and electronics companies to scale down production.