Applied Materials announced that Samsung Electronics will become the first founding member of its new $5 billion EPIC (Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization) Center in Silicon Valley. The center is designed to shorten the 10‑15‑year development cycle for next‑generation semiconductor technologies by enabling high‑velocity, co‑innovation between Applied Materials and its customers.
The EPIC Center will occupy more than 180,000 square feet of cleanroom space and is slated to open in spring 2026. Its focus is on advanced materials and process technologies that power AI‑enabling chips, positioning Applied Materials at the forefront of the industry’s most critical inflection points. Samsung’s participation will allow the two companies to work side‑by‑side on the entire manufacturing flow, from deposition to packaging, ensuring that Applied Materials’ equipment is tightly aligned with Samsung’s future chip designs.
The partnership underscores Applied Materials’ strategy to deepen relationships with key customers while accelerating innovation. By co‑locating research and development, the center is expected to reduce the time required to bring new technologies to market, giving both companies a competitive edge in the rapidly expanding AI chip market. The $5 billion investment also makes the EPIC Center the largest U.S. commitment to advanced semiconductor equipment R&D to date.
Gary Dickerson, President and CEO of Applied Materials, said the collaboration “will accelerate the path to bring advanced technologies to market faster than ever before.” Young Hyun Jun, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, added that the partnership “will deepen the technological collaboration between our two companies at the new EPIC center.” Dr. Prabu Raja, President of the Semiconductor Products Group at Applied Materials, noted that “parallel development of key steps throughout the entire process flow is critical to drive device performance, yield and cost, and that is exactly what the EPIC Center is designed to do.”
The EPIC Center reflects broader industry trends toward collaborative R&D and the growing demand for energy‑efficient, high‑performance AI chips. Samsung’s involvement signals confidence in the center’s potential to support memory, foundry, and packaging advancements, including the recent progress on HBM4 technology. For Applied Materials, the center is a strategic investment that could strengthen its market share in deposition and other core equipment segments while opening new revenue streams from joint development projects.
By aligning its equipment roadmap with Samsung’s chip development plans, Applied Materials positions itself to capture a larger share of the AI chip market and to benefit from the anticipated acceleration in demand for advanced semiconductor technologies. The EPIC Center is expected to enhance Applied Materials’ competitive positioning, support higher-margin product development, and provide a platform for future collaborations with other leading customers.
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