GlobalFoundries and Renesas have expanded their long-standing relationship with a new multi-billion-dollar manufacturing partnership aimed at boosting U.S. semiconductor production. The deal gives Renesas broader access to GlobalFoundries’ process technologies while reinforcing supply chain resilience for automotive and industrial chips.

This highlights how major chip suppliers are responding to ongoing supply risks and rising demand from smart vehicles and industrial automation. It also sheds light on which process technologies are gaining traction as automakers and industrial OEMs rethink long-term sourcing strategies.

Expanding access to key process technologies Under the expanded agreement, Renesas will tap deeper into GlobalFoundries’ portfolio, including its FDX™ (FD-SOI), BCD, and feature-rich CMOS platforms with non-volatile memory. These technologies will support a wide range of Renesas products, from SoCs and MCUs to power devices used in automotive and industrial systems.

Tape-outs under the new collaboration are expected to begin in mid-2026. Manufacturing will start in the U.S. and extend across GlobalFoundries’ global footprint, including fabs in Germany and Singapore, as well as GF’s manufacturing partnership in China. The two companies are also evaluating whether select GF process technologies could be ported into Renesas’ in-house fabs in Japan to further strengthen manufacturing resilience.

As vehicles become more electrified and software-defined, and factories increasingly automated, the chips inside these systems are doing more than ever — handling radar for advanced driver assistance systems, managing EV battery systems, and enabling secure industrial connectivity. Reliable supply is now a mission-critical requirement rather than a nice-to-have.

Automotive demand drives the strategy “This partnership strengthens a proven relationship and underscores GF’s role as a trusted partner for essential semiconductor technologies,” said Tim Breen, CEO of GlobalFoundries. “The automotive landscape is changing fast. Semiconductors are now the foundation of innovation, powering advanced driver assistance, battery management and secure connectivity. These systems demand performance and efficiency under extreme conditions, and GF’s differentiated platforms are built for that. We’re focused on delivering what matters most: reliable supply and the technologies that enable the vehicles of tomorrow.”

GlobalFoundries says that with this expanded partnership, it now manufactures semiconductors used by the world’s top three automotive MCU suppliers — a notable data point as carmakers continue to lock in long-term capacity.

Renesas CEO Hidetoshi Shibata emphasized the supply angle: “Access to a broader range of GF technologies gives us the flexibility and supply assurance our customers need. This expanded partnership enables a stable, long-term supply of semiconductors while ensuring the highest quality and reliability for our products. These capabilities are essential as we deliver advanced solutions, with demand for electrification and connectivity — and the rapidly growing compute requirements driven by AI applications — accelerating worldwide.”

Overall, the deal reflects a broader industry push to regionalize semiconductor manufacturing while still leveraging global footprints — an approach that is likely to shape automotive and industrial chip supply well into the next decade.

By: DocMemory
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