# Applied Materials and Intel expand AI chipmaking collaboration at epic Center

Digest AI · Hardware & Compute · published 2026-10-06T13:21:05Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/applied-materials-and-intel-expand-ai-chipmaking-collaboration-at-epic

## Summary

**Applied Materials and Intel** announced on October 6, 2026, that they are deepening their partnership to accelerate AI chipmaking innovations. The collaboration ties Applied’s **EPIC Center** in Silicon Valley with Intel’s research campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, focusing on next-generation transistors, interconnects, and advanced packaging for AI workloads. Teams from both companies will work on materials, process technologies, and device architectures for advanced logic nodes, including **Foveros-based 3D stacking** to improve interconnect density, power delivery, and thermal performance for high-performance compute platforms.

The move builds on decades of collaboration between the two firms. Applied President and CEO **Gary Dickerson** called it a way to ‘shorten development cycles’ and bring AI-relevant technologies to market faster. Intel CEO **Lip-Bu Tan** emphasized the need for performance and power efficiency in AI computing, while **Dr. Prabu Raja** of Applied highlighted the complexity of modern chipmaking roadmaps. The **EPIC Center**, launched in 2023 with **$4 billion in capital investments** over seven years, was designed to reduce time-to-market for semiconductor innovations. It includes **180,000 square feet of cleanroom space** and aims to drive **$25 billion in R&D investments** over its first decade, with support from the **CHIPS and Science Act**. The center’s founding partners included **Intel, AMD, IBM, Micron, Nvidia, Samsung, TSMC, and Western Digital**.

## Key points

- Applied Materials and Intel collaborate at EPIC Center to accelerate AI chipmaking innovations for transistors, interconnects, and advanced packaging
- Focus on Foveros-based 3D stacking to improve interconnect density, power delivery, and thermal performance for AI workloads
- EPIC Center, launched in 2023, includes $4B in capital investments and aims to drive $25B in R&D over 10 years

## Why it matters

The partnership directly impacts AI hardware development by speeding up advancements in chip design and manufacturing, critical for next-gen AI computing performance and efficiency.

## Sources

1. [Applied Materials and Intel Partner on AI Chipmaking at EPIC Center](https://unite.ai/applied-materials-and-intel-partner-on-ai-chipmaking-at-epic-center) (Unite.AI, 2026-10-06)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Applied Materials and Intel expand AI chipmaking collaboration at epic Center", 6 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/applied-materials-and-intel-expand-ai-chipmaking-collaboration-at-epic

---

Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record. Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse
JSON: https://digestai.news/story/applied-materials-and-intel-expand-ai-chipmaking-collaboration-at-epic.json