The South Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups(MSS) revealed discussions with Arm, a global semiconductor design company led by CEO Rene Haas. 

The talks centered on strengthening collaboration in open innovation, joint technology development, and Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) initiatives, notably in the mobility and robotics sectors. SDV is rapidly growing in importance, and Arm is at the forefront through its Scalable Open Architecture for Embedded Edge (SOAFEE) initiative. This transition necessitates the involvement of various component and software companies, offering substantial growth potential for South Korean SMEs in the manufacturing and ICT sectors.

Both parties are considering open innovation and joint R&D efforts, focusing on global innovation zones such as mobility and AI robotics. Discussions also encompassed Arm’s future role in AI and data centers. Since 2020, Arm has partnered with the Ministry, supporting 18 South Korean fabless startups with Arm IP and enabling them to produce and validate semiconductor samples through System on a Chip (SoC) designs under the Arm Flexible Access (AFA) program.

Several South Korean startup representatives expressed optimism about the collaboration, seeing it as a formula for success in the global AI semiconductor market. They emphasized the growing importance of design services connecting fabless companies and foundries in light of the increasing complexity of semiconductor design.

Rene Haas highlighted Arm’s commitment to supporting South Korean fabless and startup companies to enhance their global competitiveness and expressed hopes for expanding collaboration to enhance the design capabilities of South Korean startups and design service companies.

Minister Lee Young emphasized the significance of this partnership, stating that South Korea’s startups and small businesses dedicated to semiconductor development are seeing increasing demands for advanced semiconductor design in various fields, making the collaboration with Arm a valuable asset.