Ensilica Inks 10-Year Microwave Chip Deal in Italy

Ensilica, a UK-based company, has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with Siae Microelettronica in Italy to design custom microwave and RF telecoms chips. This strategic collaboration is part of a ten-year deal that will see Ensilica developing Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) for Siae Microelettronica to support the European EMISPHERE programme.

The EMISPHERE programme, valued at €181 million, is a significant initiative aimed at advancing the development of innovative modem chips, microwave components, and antennas. These advancements are crucial for enabling the next generation of microwave radio links to achieve a transport capacity of up to 100 Gbit/s in the W and D bands. Siae Microelettronica is actively involved in creating ready-to-market products for the Radio Access segment of the network, utilizing the O-RAN open standards.

Ensilica's role in the partnership involves integrating Siae Microelettronica's cutting-edge microwave and millimeter wave radio designs into the custom ASICs. This collaboration is seen as a pivotal step towards achieving the goals set forth by the IPCEI EMISPHERE project. Stefano Poli, the Group Managing Director of Siae Microelettronica, emphasized the importance of this partnership in driving technological growth and market expansion for the company.

EnSilica's expertise in developing high-performance radio frequency and complex digital systems played a crucial role in securing the ASIC contract with Siae Microelettronica. By showcasing their capabilities in supply chain management and risk mitigation, EnSilica instilled confidence in Siae, highlighting the potential for power savings, cost efficiency, and compact size offered by ASIC solutions.

Paul Morris, VP of RF and Communications Business Unit at EnSilica, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "As the demand for higher data rates and power-efficient systems rises, ASICs are becoming indispensable for next-generation telecommunications equipment." The partnership between EnSilica and Siae Microelettronica is positioned to drive innovation and address emerging application needs beyond 5G, solidifying their leadership in the wireless network solutions space.

With a focus on leveraging EnSilica's ASIC design expertise and Siae's market understanding, Claudio Passera, Group R&D Director at Siae Microelettronica, highlighted the competitive advantage gained through this unique combination. Ian Lankshear, CEO of EnSilica, expressed optimism about the long-term prospects of the partnership, emphasizing their commitment to delivering complex solutions that meet the evolving needs of telecom clients worldwide.