Qualcomm moves forward with growth strategy in Brazil
Qualcomm is pressing ahead with its plans to develop the semiconductor industry in Brazil and exploit opportunities in the mobility and Internet of Things segments.
Along with Universal Scientific Industrial (USI) and Asus, the company has announced new Asus smartphones that utilize its system-in-package (SiP) technology developed in Brazil.
The new Asus Zenfone Max Shot and Zenfone Max Plus (M2) are the world's first smartphones to be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon SiP, according to the companies' joint statement.
According to the companies', Qualcomm's Snapdragon SiP is the first commercial multi-chip semiconductor designed in Brazil. The companies add that it's engineered to help enable design efficiencies, reduce development costs and accelerate time to commercialization for original equipment manufacturers.
Qualcomm also provided an update of its plans to open a semiconductor factory in the state of São Paulo. The facility, a partnership with USI, will be dedicated to design, development and manufacturing of SiP modules and components for smartphones and IoT devices.
The facility will be based in the city of Jaguariúna (125km from São Paulo) and will launch in 2020.
Just over a year ago, the company signed the agreement with the government of the Brazilian state of São Paulo to implement the factory in partnership with USI.
Also last year, the company launched of a reference center in the São Paulo city of Sorocaba, developing applications based on the IoT approach.
The lab focuses on projects related to the smart city concept, as well as training courses and a showcase of the benefits of IoT to decision makers in the public sector.