Infineon Positions RISC-V as “Hidden Champion” for Automotive Semiconductors
Infineon Positions RISC-V as “Hidden Champion” for Automotive Semiconductors
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Infineon Positions RISC-V as “Hidden Champion” for Automotive Semiconductors
German chipmaker courts Japanese customers with open-source instruction set architecture
German semiconductor giant Infineon Technologies held a seminar in late September to promote RISC-V, an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA), to Japanese customers in the automotive sector.
The event, held in Tokyo, drew significant attendance from Tier 1 suppliers, software vendors, and OEM representatives, signaling strong industry interest in the emerging technology.
“We feel high expectations for RISC-V,” said Hajime Kanbe, president of Infineon Japan, surveying the well-attended venue at the event’s opening. The enthusiasm was palpable, with the Q&A session running overtime due to the volume of questions from participants.
Strategic Expansion Beyond Arm and TriCore
Infineon currently offers automotive microcontrollers based on Arm cores and its proprietary TriCore architecture. The company announced in March that it plans to introduce a RISC-V-based automotive microcontroller family within the next few years, adding a third pillar to its product portfolio.
During the seminar, Thomas Schneid, Senior Director of Infineon’s Automotive Division, made a bold prediction: “RISC-V will soon become a hidden champion.” He emphasized the critical importance of building an ecosystem centered on RISC-V and called for active participation from Japanese companies.
Open-Source Advantages
RISC-V’s primary distinction lies in its open-source nature, contrasting with proprietary ISAs like those from Arm, which are widely used in the industry alongside intellectual property (IP) licensing. Infineon highlighted several key benefits of RISC-V adoption:
- Cost reduction: Standardization through open-source architecture can lower semiconductor design costs
- Faster development: Shortened development cycles for automotive chips
- Design flexibility: Enhanced freedom in chip design through ecosystem collaboration
The strong turnout and engaged questioning at the Tokyo seminar suggest that Japanese automotive companies are actively exploring alternatives to traditional semiconductor architectures as they navigate the industry’s digital transformation and the growing complexity of vehicle electronics.
