Broadcom launches US$125 million AI semiconductor research hub with Meta and UCLA, partners with Applied Materials on advanced chip packaging

Broadcom, Meta, UCLA and other partners are launching a US$125 million AI semiconductor research and talent hub over five years, while separately working with Applied Materials on next-generation AI chip packaging technologies focused on energy efficiency and high-performance AI computing.

The UCLA hub provides Broadcom direct access to early-stage AI semiconductor research and talent, while the Applied Materials EPIC partnership gives Broadcom earlier access to advanced packaging techniques that aim to increase interconnect density and energy efficiency across multi-chip systems (packaging = the way individual chips are connected together).

Together the two efforts span concept, design and production, which according to the article could help shorten Broadcom's time from research insights to commercially relevant products in AI servers, supporting its existing role in custom accelerators and Ethernet switching for hyperscalers.