STMicroelectronics And Qualcomm Enter Into Strategic Collaboration In Wireless Internet Of Things

• This strategic collaboration will combine STMicroelectronics' market-leading STM32 microcontroller ecosystem with Qualcomm's world-class wireless connectivity solutions.
• Seamless integration with the existing STM32 developer ecosystem will enable simple, rapid and cost-effective design of next-generation industrial and consumer IoT applications, enhanced by embedded artificial intelligence.

Geneva and San Diego, CA (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, and Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, today announced a new strategic collaboration to deliver next-generation Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for industrial and consumer applications powered by embedded artificial intelligence. The highly complementary collaboration will see the two companies integrate Qualcomm Technologies’ cutting-edge AI-based wireless connectivity technologies, starting with the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo system-on-chip (SoC), with ST’s industry-leading microcontroller (MCU) ecosystem. Through this collaboration, developers will be able to seamlessly integrate connectivity software into the STM32 family of general-purpose microcontrollers (GP-MCUs), including software toolkits, facilitating rapid and widespread adoption through ST's worldwide sales and distribution channels.

Rémi El-Ouazzane, President of STMicroelectronics’ Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF Products (MDRF) Group, said: “  Wireless connectivity is critical to the rapid diffusion of embedded AI in an ever-increasing number of use cases in enterprise, industrial and personal applications. That is why we are today establishing a strategic collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies in the area of ​​wireless connectivity, starting with the Wi-Fi/BT/Thread combo SoC. We are already looking ahead to the next steps, complementing our existing portfolio of multi-protocol Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, Thread and sub-GHz products. We expect wireless connectivity products based on Qualcomm Technologies’ technology to enrich any of our STM32 products to bring significant value to our more than 100,000 STM32 customers worldwide .”

Rahul Patel, Group General Manager, Connectivity, Broadband and Networking Business Unit, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., said, “  Qualcomm Technologies’ research and development leadership has helped drive the evolution of the wireless Internet of Things from the early days of 4G/5G to high-performance Wi-Fi to ultra-low-power connectivity solutions. Our collaboration with STMicroelectronics combines Qualcomm Technologies’ best-in-class connectivity offerings with ST’s STM32 microcontroller ecosystem and will help significantly accelerate the delivery of feature-rich capabilities in the Internet of Things. Together, we are defining new experiences for IoT application developers, ensuring seamless integration and optimal performance for developers and end users alike .”

For the broader market, ST plans to introduce standalone modules using Qualcomm Technologies’ multi-protocol Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo SoC portfolio, which can be integrated at the system level with any general-purpose STM32 family microcontroller. Wireless connectivity, optimized and made available to ST’s developer ecosystem through ST’s well-established software platform, will help reduce development time and time to market. The first products from this collaboration are expected to be available to large OEMs in Q1 2025, with broader availability to follow. This is the first step in a collaboration that will provide a roadmap of multi-protocol Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo SoCs over time, with the intention of expanding to cellular connectivity for industrial IoT applications.

Andrew Zignani, Senior Research Director, ABI Research, commented: “  With the installed base of consumer, commercial and industrial connected devices expected to well exceed 80 billion units by 2028, the proliferation of high-performance wireless connectivity solutions combined with a diverse portfolio of microcontrollers will be critical to enabling this next wave of wireless IoT innovation. This collaboration between STMicroelectronics and Qualcomm Technologies is a perfect match, with ST’s leading microcontroller ecosystem and Qualcomm Technologies’ R&D leadership in wireless connectivity. The increasing availability of these combined solutions will enable companies to address the dynamic IoT market more simply, faster and more cost-effectively in the years to come. ”

About STMicroelectronics
At ST, we are more than 50,000 creators and makers of microelectronic technologies. We master the entire semiconductor supply chain with our state-of-the-art manufacturing sites. As an integrated device manufacturer, we collaborate with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and create products, solutions and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to contribute to a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient energy and power management, and the large-scale deployment of autonomous things connected to the cloud. We are committed to achieving our goal of becoming carbon neutral in scopes 1 and 2, and part of scope 3, by 2027. For more information, visit www.st.com

About Qualcomm
Qualcomm is relentlessly innovating to deliver intelligent computing solutions everywhere to help the world solve some of the world’s most important challenges. Our proven solutions accelerate transformation across major industries, while our Snapdragon ® branded platforms enable extraordinary consumer experiences. Building on our nearly 40-year history of setting industry standards and creating breakthrough technologies that define our era, we deliver cutting-edge AI, high-performance, energy-efficient computing, and unmatched connectivity. Together with our ecosystem partners, we are driving next-generation digital transformation to enrich lives, improve businesses, and advance society. At Qualcomm, we design human progress.

Qualcomm Incorporated encompasses our QTL licensing business and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, and its subsidiaries manage substantially all of our engineering and R&D activities and substantially all of our products and services, including our QCT microelectronics business. Products marketed under the Snapdragon and Qualcomm brands are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed from Qualcomm Incorporated.