Cisco to open its first European chip design center in Barcelona | Economy and business


The Cisco stand at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in February 2018.PAUL BARRENA (AFP)

US technology giant Cisco Systems announced on Thursday that it will launch a new design center for next-generation semiconductor devices in the city of Barcelona, ​​in the northeast of Spain, its first installation of this type in the European Union.

The design center will be located in the city’s new urban innovation center, inside the former Ca l’Alier factory, in the Poblenou district, where the Californian company already has a center of innovation. “The center aims to bring Cisco’s knowledge and experience to help develop the European chip ecosystem,” the company said in a statement. “The center is the first of its kind for Cisco in the European Union.”

The announcement came after Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid. The initiative is part of the Spanish Government’s Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) in the field of microelectronics and semiconductors, promoted by the Executive through Next Generation European Funds. The LOSS semiconductor is expected to allocate more than 12 billion euros.

This investment is part of the European Union’s strategy to develop its own microchip industry, as these elements are essential for the manufacture of technological products (including electric vehicles). Currently, chip production is carried out mainly in China. A robust domestic industry would not be so susceptible to supply bottlenecks that can force auto factories to close for days.

“Spain is poised to become a key player in achieving the EU’s goal of reaching 20% ​​of the global chip market by 2030,” Sánchez said in remarks reported by Cisco.

“Semiconductors are essential to so much innovation, and our advancements in this area help overcome the performance, economics and power consumption limitations of current infrastructure,” Robbins said. His company’s specific investment in his new center in Barcelona has not transpired, although sources familiar with the matter said it will be disclosed in the coming weeks.

Barcelona’s deputy mayor, Jaume Collboni, said the project consolidates the city as “Spain’s technological capital”.

Another tech giant, Intel, has also committed to opening an innovation lab in Barcelona, ​​in alliance with the city’s Supercomputing Center. The company’s €200 million investment would be matched by an equal amount of public funds.

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