Apple to set up silicon design centre in Germany, invest $1.2 billion

FILE PHOTO: The Apple Inc logo is seen hanging at the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 16, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

Apple said on Wednesday it would establish a European silicon design centre in Munich, Germany, and invest more than 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) over the next three years in expanding its team there and in research and development.

Munich is already Apple’s largest engineering hub in Europe, with close to 1,500 engineers from 40 countries working in areas including power management design, application processors, and wireless technologies.

The new facility will be home to Apple’s growing cellular unit, and Europe’s largest R&D site for mobile wireless semiconductors and software, Apple said in a statement, adding that the team would focus on 5G and other wireless technologies.

An exterior view shows the future home to Apple’s growing cellular unit, and Europe’s largest R&D site for mobile wireless semiconductors and software in Munich, March 10, 2021. Apple said on Wednesday it would establish a European silicon design centre in Munich and invest more than 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) over the next three years in expanding its team there. Munich is already Apple’s largest engineering hub in Europe, with close to 1,500 engineers from 40 countries working in areas including power management design, application processors, and wireless technologies. REUTERS/Ayhan Uyanik

The expansion follows a $600 million deal struck by Apple with Anglo-German chip designer Dialog Semiconductor in 2018 to bring in-house the teams designing the main power chips used in its iPhone and other devices.

(Reporting by Douglas Busvine;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)