Siemens and GlobalFoundries Targets AI-driven Fab Automation and Predictive Maintenance

Key points

• Siemens and GlobalFoundries announced a strategic collaboration via a memorandum of understanding on Dec. 11, 2025.
• The work centers on fab automation, electrification, and digital software from chip development through product lifecycle management.
• Use centralized AI-enabled automation and predictive maintenance to improve equipment availability, efficiency, reliability, and security in production.

On December 11, 2025, Siemens and GlobalFoundries announced their MoU to deploy more AI-driven automation inside semiconductor manufacturing using advanced AI-enabled software, sensors, and real-time control systems within fab automation environments.

Both companies said the intent is to create a centralized automation with predictive maintenance so factories can detect issues earlier, keep tools running longer, and improve overall operational efficiency while also strengthening security.

What Siemens and GF will actually work on

Rather than positioning this as a single product launch, the MoU frames a broad scope across the semiconductor lifecycle:

• Automation technologies for semiconductor fabrication
• Electrification
• Digital solutions and software, from chip development through PLM

Siemens emphasized its stack across industrial, energy/building automation, and digitalization, including software for chip design/manufacturing and factory automation.

GlobalFoundries highlighted its manufacturing footprint and also noted contributions from MIPS  in RISC-V processor IP, tying the collaboration to future “autonomous platforms” and “physical AI” use cases.

Importantly, Siemens and GF said they plan to develop and deploy solutions within their own operations first, then translate that into improved offerings signaling that this is intended to be “prove it in the fab” work, not just a concept.

Localization and Demand Pressure

The companies explicitly framed the timing around “unprecedented demand” in areas including AI, defense, energy, and connectivity segments where security requirements are rising alongside volume expectations.

That theme also matches policies and investment currents around localized manufacturing. GF, for example, operates across the U.S., Asia, and Europe, and noted that its Dresden site is Europe’s largest semiconductor production site with roughly 3,000 employees.

Separately, the European Commission recently approved €623 million in German state aid supporting new chip manufacturing facilities, including support tied to GlobalFoundries as governments are pushing for more regional supply assurance.

As fabs become more automated and AI-assisted, the manufacturing advantage increasingly goes to the teams that can run reliably at scale, not just the teams that can install the newest tools. If Siemens and GlobalFoundries can measurably raise uptime and operational consistency, the downstream effect could be steadier lead times and better predictability for programs tied to industrial power, energy infrastructure, and defense-grade electronics.