April 2025 Updates for Design Engineers
Read the latest semiconductor and electronics news and updates.
In this edition:
Africa's First AI Factory, Propelling Continental Innovation
McKinsey Electronics x UOD: LabVIEW Training
STMicroelectronics: Strategic Investments and Advanced R&D
Key Highlights:
Agrate, Italy: Doubling 300mm wafer capacity to 4,000 wafers/week by 2027
Crolles, France: Digital fab expansion to 20,000 wafers/week
Catania, Italy: New SiC Campus to produce 15,000 wafers/week by 2033
Tours & Rousset: GaN epitaxy + advanced FO-WLP packaging
Malta & Singapore: Enhanced test, packaging, and mature tech fabs
Why it matters: These moves reinforce ST's leadership in wide-bandgap semiconductors, enabling breakthroughs in electric vehicles, industrial automation and energy infrastructure.
STMicroelectronics (ST) (link to ST page on our website) is undertaking a significant transformation of its global manufacturing operations, channeling substantial investments into 300mm silicon wafer production, 200mm silicon carbide (SiC) fabrication and cutting-edge research and development. This initiative aims to enhance ST's capabilities in power electronics and wide-bandgap semiconductors, aligning with the industry's shift towards electrification and decarbonization.
Expanding 300mm Silicon Wafer Production
In Agrate, Italy, ST is scaling up its 300mm wafer fabrication facility to become a flagship site for smart power and mixed-signal technologies. The plan involves doubling the current capacity to 4,000 wafers per week by 2027, with potential expansion up to 14,000 wafers per week, contingent on market demand. This expansion will support the growing needs of automotive and industrial applications.
Meanwhile, in Crolles, France, ST is enhancing its 300mm fab to solidify its role in digital product manufacturing. The facility's capacity is set to increase to 14,000 wafers per week by 2027, with plans to reach up to 20,000 wafers per week. Additionally, the existing 200mm fab in Crolles will be repurposed for Electrical Wafer Sorting and advanced packaging technologies, with a focus on Fan-out Wafer-Level Packaging (FO-WLP) and panel-level packaging—critical for high-density integration in next-generation microelectronics.
Establishing a Silicon Carbide Campus in Catania
ST is constructing a state-of-the-art Silicon Carbide Campus in Catania, Italy, marking a significant milestone in the company's commitment to wide-bandgap semiconductors. The facility will commence production of 200mm SiC wafers in the fourth quarter of 2025, with full capacity expected by 2033, reaching up to 15,000 wafers per week. This vertically integrated campus will encompass all stages of SiC production, from substrate development to module assembly, reinforcing ST's leadership in SiC technology.
Investing in Gallium Nitride and Advanced R&D
Beyond SiC, ST is also investing in gallium nitride (GaN) technologies, recognizing their complementary role in power electronics. The company has initiated GaN epitaxy processes at its Tours site in France, aiming to broaden its portfolio of power semiconductor solutions. Collaborations with industry leaders, such as the partnership with Airbus to develop efficient power electronics for aircraft, underscore ST's commitment to innovation in wide-bandgap semiconductors.
Optimizing Global Manufacturing Operations
ST's restructuring extends to other sites worldwide:
Rousset, France: Focuses on 200mm manufacturing, optimizing capacity utilization.
Tours, France: Specializes in 200mm silicon production and GaN epitaxy and will host panel-level packaging activities.
Ang Mo Kio, Singapore: Continues as a high-volume fab for mature technologies, including 200mm silicon manufacturing.
Kirkop, Malta: Upgrading its test and packaging operations with advanced automation to support next-generation products.
Driving Efficiency and Innovation
Through these strategic investments, ST aims to achieve significant cost savings and bolster its technological differentiation in the global semiconductor market. By enhancing its manufacturing footprint and focusing on advanced materials like SiC and GaN, ST is positioning itself to meet the evolving demands of electrification and digitalization across various industries.
For the latest STMicroelectronics (link to ST page on our website) products and on-ground regional engineering support, contact McKinsey Electronics.
ams OSRAM: Ultra-Compact, High-Brightness Chip LED
Top Features:
Boosts heart-rate monitoring with better PPG signal quality
Energy-efficient for long-lasting battery life
Supports critical applications in compact spaces
Expert Quote: "This chip LED enables more accurate, reliable monitoring in the smallest form factors. It’s a leap forward in wearable innovation."
ams OSRAM (link to page in our website) has introduced the CT ELLN51.14, a cutting-edge chip-scale LED that delivers 14 mW of optical power, 20% brighter than its predecessor (CT ELLM41.14), while maintaining an ultra-compact footprint of just 1.2 mm × 1.0 mm × 0.6 mm. This innovation is poised to enhance the performance of space-constrained devices such as smart rings, in-ear monitors, and medical wearables.
Advancing Biometric Sensing
The CT ELLN51.14 is engineered to improve photoplethysmography (PPG), a non-invasive method for monitoring heart rate by detecting blood volume changes in the microvascular bed of tissue. By emitting green light into the skin and analyzing the reflected signals, PPG enables continuous heart rate monitoring. The increased brightness of this new LED enhances signal quality, particularly in body areas with rich blood perfusion like fingers and earlobes, thereby improving measurement accuracy in compact devices.
Energy Efficiency Meets Miniaturization
In addition to its enhanced brightness, the CT ELLN51.14 boasts improved energy efficiency, a critical factor for battery-powered devices intended for prolonged use. The LED's design supports the trend toward miniaturization without compromising performance, making it ideal for applications where space and power consumption are at a premium.
Expertise in Vital Sign Monitoring
Florian Lex, Product Marketing Manager at ams OSRAM, highlighted the company's commitment to advancing vital sign monitoring technologies: “ams OSRAM has demonstrated its expertise in vital sign monitoring over many years and is now further driving the trend toward miniaturization with its high-performance products. Our new Chip LED enables more reliable heart rate monitoring, even in devices that are designed to be unobtrusive yet highly precise.”
Proven Track Record in LED Innovation
ams OSRAM's extensive experience in LED technology is evidenced by its portfolio of over 1,500 patents related to green emitters and an additional 200 patents in vital sign monitoring technologies. This robust intellectual property foundation underscores the company's leadership in developing high-performance, compact LEDs for a variety of applications.
Applications Beyond Wearables
While the CT ELLN51.14 is tailored for wearables and medical devices, its compact size and high brightness make it suitable for industrial sensors and other applications requiring efficient optical data transmission in limited spaces.
For regional technical support and the latest ams Osram products, contact McKinsey Electronics today.
Africa's First AI Factory, Propelling Continental Innovation
What’s Coming:
$720M investment across 5 countries
12,000 GPUs powering agriculture, healthcare, fintech, and more
Supporting African startups with localized AI compute
Quote: “This factory makes Africa a full participant in the fourth industrial revolution,” says Strive Masiyiwa, Chairman of Cassava.
In a landmark initiative poised to transform Africa's technological landscape, Cassava Technologies has partnered with NVIDIA to establish the continent's first Artificial Intelligence (AI) factory. This state-of-the-art facility, set to commence operations in South Africa by June 2025, aims to provide African businesses, governments and researchers with unprecedented access to advanced AI computing capabilities.
Empowering Africa's AI Ecosystem
The AI factory will be powered by NVIDIA's cutting-edge GPU-based supercomputers, facilitating rapid AI model training, fine-tuning and advanced inference capabilities. By deploying NVIDIA's accelerated computing and AI software through NVIDIA Cloud Partner (NCP) reference architectures, Cassava intends to deliver AI as a Service (AIaaS) across the continent. This infrastructure will enable local entities to develop smarter AI products, streamline operations and maintain competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
Strategic Investment and Expansion
Cassava's ambitious plan involves an investment of up to $720 million over the next three to four years. The initial phase includes deploying 3,000 GPUs in South Africa, with a broader rollout of 12,000 GPUs across Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria. This expansion aims to decentralize AI development, ensuring data sovereignty by keeping data within Africa's borders and reducing reliance on foreign cloud platforms.
Driving Innovation Across Sectors
The AI factory is expected to catalyze modernization across various sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, energy, and financial services. By providing the necessary computational resources, the facility will empower startups, enterprises and academic institutions to develop localized AI solutions tailored to the continent's unique challenges. This initiative also addresses the critical shortage of AI computing power in Africa, which currently accounts for a mere 0.1% of the world's computing capacity.
Leadership and Vision
Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Chairman of Cassava Technologies, emphasized the significance of this development: "Building digital infrastructure for the AI economy is a priority if Africa is to take full advantage of the fourth industrial revolution. Our AI Factory provides the infrastructure for this innovation to scale, empowering African businesses, startups and researchers with access to cutting-edge AI infrastructure to turn their bold ideas into real-world breakthroughs — and now, they don’t have to look beyond Africa to get it."
Jaap Zuiderveld, Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa at NVIDIA, echoed this sentiment by saying: "AI is helping innovators solve our greatest challenges in agriculture, healthcare, energy, financial services, and many other industries, creating opportunity in Africa. As an NVIDIA Cloud Partner, Cassava is providing essential infrastructure and software to help pioneering companies and organizations accelerate AI development to foster innovation across the continent."
A Milestone for Africa's Digital Future
The establishment of Africa's first AI factory marks a significant milestone in the continent's journey toward digital transformation. By investing in robust AI infrastructure and fostering local talent, Cassava Technologies and NVIDIA are laying the groundwork for a more inclusive and innovative AI ecosystem in Africa.
As Africa embraces its digital future with Cassava Technologies' AI Factory, McKinsey Electronics stands ready to support this transformation by providing the advanced semiconductor components and circuit design expertise that power AI infrastructures. From high-performance processors and memory solutions to sensors and secure embedded systems, McKinsey Electronics enables the critical hardware behind AI acceleration. With a strong presence in South Africa, our partnerships with leading manufacturers ensure seamless integration of AI-ready components into emerging technologies, supporting startups, research centers and industries leveraging the new AI capabilities now accessible on the entire African continent. Contact today.
McKinsey Electronics x UOD: LabVIEW Training
McKinsey Electronics partnered with the University of Dubai for a hands-on LabVIEW Core 1 & 2 training. Attendees from across academia and industry deepened their expertise in data acquisition, system automation and real-time control.
Participant Feedback:
"Outstanding delivery. Complex ideas made simple."
"Great balance between theory and real-world practice."
From April 14 to 18, 2025, McKinsey Electronics, in collaboration with the University of Dubai, hosted a comprehensive LabVIEW Core 1 & 2 training program designed to meet the needs of both academic professionals and engineers working in R&D, automation and embedded systems. The five-day course provided a balanced mix of theoretical depth and practical application, focusing on real-time control, data acquisition and system automation using LabVIEW.
Led by a McKinsey Electronics NI-certified instructor, the sessions stood out for their clarity, engagement and relevance. One participant, Jayakumar Vandavasi Karunamurthy from DEWA, shared that the training delivered “each concept with clarity and precision,” making even the most complex topics accessible and engaging. He described the experience as “outstanding,” emphasizing the instructor’s ability to simplify ideas and connect them with real-world applications.
The training was structured to accommodate varying learning styles, combining guided exercises with hands-on projects. For Maryam Ali Amour of the University of Dubai, the course offered “foundational and advanced features of LabVIEW,” presented in a way that built confidence and encouraged professional growth. She praised the instructor’s approach for being patient, engaging and responsive.
Eman Salamah Abushabab, also from the University of Dubai, highlighted the value of the experience, noting that the course was “well-structured,” with a focus on practical understanding through exercises and group projects. “The instructor introduced everything in a simple and interesting way,” she added, reflecting the accessible nature of the training.
Recognition:
Recognizing the program’s excellence and impact, the Dean of Engineering at the University of Dubai presented the McKinsey Electronics team with an Award of Appreciation—celebrating their contribution to engineering education and their efforts in strengthening industry-academic collaboration.
Beyond skill development, this initiative represents McKinsey Electronics’ broader commitment to nurturing engineering talent and strengthening the connection between academia and industry in the UAE. As feedback from the program shows, the training was more than instructional—it was a stimulus for technical upskilling and professional advancement.
Follow McKinsey Electronics on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on future LabVIEW training sessions and initiatives supporting engineering development across the region.