NXP exits Crolles2 Alliance
In its new avatar, Philips Semiconductor, now NXP exits Crolles2 Alliance, a partnership formed in 2000 and renewed in 2002, and teams up with TSMC.
As we further scale the technologies and the fab and associated costs increase, alliances is no longer an option; it’s mandatory. Amongst the present big ones, the Chartered, IBM, Samsung, Infineon alliance seems to be the more promising one overall. IBM is also reportedly in talks with the other two Crolles2 partners, STM and Freescale, to join Crolles2 Alliance.
Freescale had been pushing to get IBM into the Alliance while STM was pushing for TSMC. NXP has an asset lite strategy (it plans to increase its outsourcing ratio to 40% by 2010, from its present 10-20%) and it seems logical for it to strengthen its cooperation with its long time foundry partner, TSMC.
