GlobalFoundries has announced FDX Fusion, a next-generation platform for highly integrated, energy-efficient chips designed for demanding Physical AI applications and planned for development and manufacturing in Dresden. The announcement accompanied the topping-out of the company's SPRINT expansion project at the site.
GF is investing €1.1 billion in the SPRINT expansion, which is expected to increase Dresden's annual production capacity to more than one million 300mm wafers by the end of 2028, making it Europe's largest foundry site. The additional capacity will support GF's differentiated technologies for automotive, aerospace, industrial IoT and defense applications, markets increasingly shaped by Physical AI.
FDX Fusion is GF's next generation of fully depleted silicon-on-insulator technology. It targets 7nm-like digital performance combined with analog, mixed-signal, embedded-memory and high-performance RF capabilities. The platform is intended to enable energy-efficient processing, sensing, real-time control and secure connectivity within a single technology.
Tim Breen, CEO of GlobalFoundries, said: “Europe’s industrial base depends on chips that have to be available, trusted and built close to the customers who rely on them. SPRINT expands that capacity in Dresden while giving customers a path to the next generation of energy-efficient computing for Physical AI. This reinforces GF’s role as a trusted partner in the industries that matter most to Europe.”
The topping-out marks completion of a construction phase on schedule and on budget, allowing GF to continue the remaining work in the existing facility and the expansion as planned. SPRINT is expanding cleanroom and manufacturing infrastructure while the existing facility remains fully operational. The expansion will also enable GF to offer Europe-only processes and data flows for customers with stringent security requirements, including critical infrastructure and aerospace customers.
GF Dresden intends to pursue FDX Fusion development through the upcoming IPCEI Advanced Semiconductor Technologies (AST) program, subject to German federal government approval of the project start.
