Intel goes on the offensive with “IDM 2.0” strategy

Pat Gelsinger, who took the helm at Intel only about a month ago, isn’t wasting any time. In a webcast yesterday, he unveiled a bold new vision aimed at becoming the undisputed leader of the semiconductor industry again. Dubbed “IDM 2.0,” the strategy doubles down on in-house manufacturing, while also increasing engagement with both external customers and foundries.

“We’re bringing back the execution discipline of Intel. What I’ve called the Grove-ian culture that we do what we say that we’re doing to do,” Gelsinger said, referring to Intel’s third CEO Andy Grove, whose relentless focus on flawless execution put Intel at the top. Incidentally, Gelsinger served under Grove.

Gelsinger re-affirmed the company’s intention to continue manufacturing the majority of its products internally. He said that 7nm development is progressing well, expecting the first tape-out in the second quarter of the year. By reintroducing the tick-tock model of alternating process node enhancements with microarchitecture updates, Gelsinger is looking to regain “unquestioned CPU leadership performance” in 2024 or 2025.