NXP look to China for mmWave talent

An article written by Junko Yoshida, EETAsia – NXP and Infineon are expanding radar development activities beyond their home turf – with NXP into China, Infineon to Linz, Austria, as the automotive radar chip market is turning red hot.

The automotive radar chip market is turning red hot.

NXP Semiconductors and Infineon Technologies, two top 77 GHz radar chip suppliers, have recently announced their respective plans to expand radar development activities beyond their home turf.

Earlier this month, Infineon said it has broken ground on a new radar R&D site in Linz, Austria. The new center will emphasize development of high-frequency technologies by leveraging the regional expertise of Johannes Keppler University in Linz.

Wednesday, NXP revealed a new investment and collaboration agreement with Hawkeye Technology Co. NXP described Hawkeye as a firm sitting at “the forefront of the Chinese automotive radar sector.”

War for talent

“This is all about a war for talent,” said Torsten Lehman, global senior vice president, driver assistance and car infotainment at NXP.

Radar technology is often regarded as “voodoo stuff,” said Lehman in an EE Times interview. The industry knows that “mmWave is not easy,” he added. Wherever you are in the world, the engineering talent specialized in mmWave technology is scarce.

For NXP, with hopes to capture the booming automotive market in China, finding and securing a partner like Hawkeye in China was like “winning the lottery,” said Lehman. Hawkeye not only offers deep 77Ghz expertise. Built around a team of highly qualified engineers, it also provides strong connections with Southeast University in Nanjing, China… Full article