Samsung to Produce Automotive Chips for Qualcomm Subsidiary Autotalks

As the automotive chip market evolves, Samsung is proactively working to strengthen its position in this space. The company recently secured a deal with Qualcomm’s subsidiary Autotalks to produce chips for autonomous vehicles. This deal could boost its struggling foundry division and improve its reputation in the semiconductor industry.

Samsung Foundry secures automotive chip order from Autotalks

V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) chips are an important component for autonomous vehicles. These chips allow vehicles to communicate with their surroundings, sharing various information such as speed, location, and potential hazards. Autotalks is one of the key players in the design and development of V2X chips. Founded in 2008, Qualcomm acquired Autotalks last week to boost V2X deployments. It now functions as a Qualcomm subsidiary.

According to a report from Korean outlet Chosun, Autotalks recently visited Samsung’s foundry facility in Austin, Texas. The firm conducted quality level inspections and prepared for the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). These are crucial steps before the company gives the green light for mass production. The report further said the Korean firm will manufacture Autotalks’ chips using processes below 14nm at the Austin plant.

It’s unclear when Samsung will begin mass production of these automotive chips for AutoTalks, but the preparation for PPAP suggests that production could start soon. If successful, this will expand the collaboration between Samsung Foundry and Qualcomm from mobile into the automotive space.

Samsung’s foundry division has been going through tough times, as it has struggled to attract major clients. In Q1 2025, Samsung fell even further behind its arch-rival and industry leader, TSMC, in the foundry market. As a result, the firm is desperately looking for big orders from clients, but poor yields in advanced process nodes have led to multiple setbacks.

It looks like Samsung is now trying to cater to the growing automotive chip market to make a comeback. It recently partnered with industry leaders Infineon and NXP to develop automotive-grade processors based on its 5nm process technology.