Intel continues to seek strategic partners to support its restructuring amid a crisis that has reduced its relevance in the semiconductor industry. After securing a $5 billion investment (around €4.24 billion) from Nvidia last week, the U.S. chipmaker has reportedly begun preliminary talks with Apple. Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the goal is to secure additional backing following the U.S. government’s involvement in the company.
According to the reports, Intel has also reached out to other technology firms in its search for support. For many years, Apple was one of Intel’s most important customers. However, that relationship shifted when Apple transitioned to its own in-house processor designs, manufactured by Taiwanese giant TSMC. Since then, Intel has steadily lost ground in a market dominated by Arm-based chips for smartphones and tablets, while in the field of artificial intelligence Nvidia remains virtually unchallenged.
This situation has forced Intel to rethink its strategy, leaning toward becoming a contract manufacturer for third parties. Yet potential customers have been cautious, leading the company to scale back several of its ambitious expansion projects — including the cancellation of a planned plant in Magdeburg, Germany. The decline of Intel contrasts sharply with its legacy as a pioneer in the chip industry, where for decades it set the global standard in computing.
Today, however, its future depends on strategic alliances and government backing. Recently, the U.S. government acquired nearly a 10 percent stake in the company, using billions in previously promised subsidies as the price of entry. Initially, those funds were to be granted as direct support for building new factories in the United States, but President Donald Trump demanded something in return.
Attention now turns to whether Apple — which has distanced itself from Intel in recent years — will be willing to extend a helping hand to the struggling company. A potential rapprochement between these two giants could reshape the balance of power in the global tech industry.
