# Intel joins Applied Materials in $5 billion chip R&D hub

*The partnership connects Oregon labs to Silicon Valley cleanrooms as foundry rivals TSMC and Samsung Electronics share toolmaker research space to curb node costs.*

**Published:** October 8, 2026  
**By:** Mina Okoro  
**Section:** Semiconductors & AI Hardware — Cross-border  
**Format:** Company Watch  
**Confidence:** high  
**Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/semiconductors/intel-joins-applied-materials-5-billion-chip-r-d-599  
**Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/)

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## What to know

- Applied Materials builds $5 billion Silicon Valley EPIC Center with over 180,000 square feet of cleanroom space
- Intel joins TSMC and Samsung Electronics as founding partners to share pre-commercial equipment testing
- Facility achieves operational readiness before the end of December 2026

![Engineers in cleanroom suits inspect a semiconductor component beside advanced machinery at a chip development facility. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-08-bd2bd8405d23.webp)
*Engineers in cleanroom suits inspect a semiconductor component beside advanced machinery at a chip development facility. (AI-generated image)*

Intel joined Applied Materials' $5 billion semiconductor research facility on Oct. 8, 2026, partnering with the toolmaker to accelerate advanced transistor architecture, power delivery interconnects and Foveros three-dimensional packaging for artificial intelligence processors.

The joint effort connects Intel's primary technology development campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, with the Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization Center, or EPIC Center, located in Sunnyvale, California.

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Cite as: East Asia Brief, "Intel joins Applied Materials in $5 billion chip R&D hub," October 8, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/semiconductors/intel-joins-applied-materials-5-billion-chip-r-d-599