Ford, GF to Collaborate on R&D for ‘Feature-Rich Chips’

GlobalFoundries and Ford signed a nonbinding agreement that “opens the door” for the chipmaker to boost semiconductor supply for Ford's current vehicle lineup, said the companies Thursday. They also agreed to do R&D to “address the growing demand for feature-rich chips” to support automotive industry growth, they said. These could include semiconductors for advanced driver assistance systems, battery management and in-vehicle networking for future autonomous, connected and electrified vehicles, they said: “GF and Ford also will explore expanded semiconductor manufacturing opportunities.” The Ford-GF "strategic collaboration" does not involve "cross-ownership between the two companies," they said.