Apple plans new silicon design centre to focus on 5G and wireless tech
Apple has announced a new European Silicon Design Center in Munich, Germany, promising an investment of over €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the facility.
The Munich investment will focus on Apple's 5G and future wireless technologies and expands its workforce of 1,500 engineers in the southern German city. Apple's presence in Munich stretches back 40 years.
Innovation
Apple notes the engineers in Munich are contributing to its custom silicon designs, which feature in the new M1 chips for the 2020 MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini.
SEE: Hiring Kit: 5G Wireless System Engineer (TechRepublic Premium)
The company confirmed it will open a new, 30,000-square-meter facility Munich's Karlstrasse district. The facility will become the European Silicon Design Center, which will open in late 2022.
It will run on 100% renewable energy, according to Apple, which now has over 4,000 employees in Germany across retail, engineering, and operations.
"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," said Apple chief, Tim Cook.
Apple says the new facility in Munich will house Apple's "growing cellular unit, and Europe's largest R&D site for mobile wireless semiconductors and software."
It added: "The team is creating 5G and future technologies, bringing innovation to all aspects of the wireless experience through the seamless integration of hardware and software engineering. Teams also focus on developing, integrating, and optimising wireless modems for Apple products. Apple's site in Linz, Austria, is driving new radio technologies."