Apple has said it plans to move into the new 30,000-square-metre design centre in late 2022, according to information it shared on Wednesday.
“I couldn’t be more excited for everything our Munich engineering teams will discover — from exploring the new frontiers of 5G technology, to a new generation of technologies that bring power, speed, and connectivity to the world,” CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.
The firm will focus on custom chips for 5G mobile and other wireless technologies.
Apple will be in good company in Munich. Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics also operates out of the city, along with Apple partner Infineon Technologies AG.
The news broke the same the EU unveiled plans to become “digitally sovereign in an open and interconnected world”.
Leaked policy documents stated: “By 2030, all EU households should have gigabit connectivity and all populated areas should be covered by 5G.
“The production of cutting-edge and sustainable semiconductors in Europe should be 20% of world production; 10,000 climate neutral highly secure edge nodes should be deployed in the EU; and Europe should have its first quantum computer.”
However, the design centre will likely come too late to solve the growing global semiconductor shortage. While Foxconn chairman Liu Young-way said last month that he expected “limited impact” from the shortage, which has impacted the semiconductor and automotive sector.
However, in the US President Biden has pledged $37 billion to boost manufacturing.
