Apple adds US manufacturing partners with $400M expansion
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Dive Brief:
- Apple recently added four semiconductor companies to its American Manufacturing Program, including Bosch, Cirrus Logic, TDK and Qnity Electronics.
- The Cupertino, California-based company on Thursday said it plans to spend $400 million through 2030 in support of its new partners as they produce materials and components in the United States for Apple products sold around the world.
- As part of the expansion, longtime Apple supplier TDK has agreed to make iPhone sensors in the U.S. for the first time. The advanced sensors support camera stabilization, among other features. Apple is also working with Bosch on producing circuits that support crash detection, activity tracking and elevation.
Dive Insight:
Apple’s expansion is part of a larger $600 billion commitment to U.S. manufacturing and innovation. It adds to a growing number of companies participating in Apple’s American Manufacturing Program as uncertainty fueled by tariffs and international conflict spur domestic investments.
Initial members such as Amkor, GlobalWafers and Corning are already starting to implement their plans with Apple. The technology giant has redirected all of its iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass production to Corning’s Harrodsburg, Kentucky, facility. It also recently announced plans to bring Mac mini production to Houston later this year.
GlobalWafers has begun wafer production at its Sherman, Texas, factory. Meanwhile, Amkor has broken ground on its advanced packaging and test facility in Peoria, Arizona, where Apple is set to be its first and largest customer.
“We’re proud to partner with even more companies to produce critical components and cutting-edge materials for our products right here in the U.S,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.
In addition to new partnerships with TDK and Bosch, Apple is working with Cirrus Logic to establish new semiconductor process technologies at GlobalFoundries’ facility in Malta, New York. Apple said this collaboration will enable Cirrus Logic to develop “mixed-signal solutions” for its applications, including advanced integrated circuits for Face ID systems.
Qnity Electronics and HD Microsystems have also agreed to provide materials and technologies that enhance semiconductor manufacturing through artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. Qnity, a Dupont spinoff, recently formed in November and opened a 385,000-square-foot chips facility in Newark, Delaware, to meet rising AI demand.
Apple also said it has served nearly 150 businesses through dozens of free, in-person training sessions and virtual programming. It is scheduled to host its first Spring Forum from April 30 to May 1 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.
