Intel struck a partnership with UK-based Arm to enable semiconductor designers to design and build low-power systems-on-chip (SoC) using its foundry manufacturing process.

The companies plan to initially focus on building mobile SoC designs at the Intel Foundry Services (IFS) division before expanding the deal to cover chips for automotive, IoT, data centre, aerospace and government applications.

Under the agreement, Arm customers designing their next-generation mobile SoCs will benefit from Intel’s 18A process technology to manufacture their products. Intel 18A is a more advanced process with capacity in both the US and Europe, according to a company statement.

IFS and Arm will collaborate on design technology co-optimisation whereby chip design and process manufacturing are optimised to improve the power, performance and cost of Arm-based cores using the Intel 18A technology.

Intel 18A leverages two new technologies; PowerVia for optimal power delivery and RibbonFET “gate all around” transistor architecture.

The former chip rivals will develop a mobile reference design to demonstrate the technology to customers.

Taiwan-based MediaTek inked a similar deal in 2022 to use Intel’s foundry service, which was first announced a year prior.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger stated prior to the creation of IFS, fabless customers had limited options for designing products around the most advanced mobile technologies. He noted the partnership between Intel and Arm would expand the market opportunity and open up new options and approaches for those customers.