Billion investment: Apple expands German development centers

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Apple branch in Munich: "Grateful for what we have achieved together"

Photo: Peter Kneffel / dpa

Apple will invest over a billion euros in Germany over the next three years, especially in Bavaria.

The iPhone manufacturer announced on Wednesday that the existing research and development departments in the greater Munich area are to be expanded to become Apple's European center for chip design.

In the summer of 2019, Apple took over the cellular modem division of the chip giant Intel in Nabern near Kirchheim unter Teck and has since expanded it to become Apple's largest development center in Europe.

According to the company, almost 1,500 engineers from 40 countries now work there in the fields of power management design, application processors, wireless technologies and other topics.

In total, Apple employs around 4,000 people in Germany.

Apple used to get chips for iPhones, iPads and Macs from Qualcomm and Intel, among others.

The Californian company has been following a master plan for years to design the most important semiconductors itself.

The developer teams in Bavaria made a contribution to Apple's self-designed chips, which would have provided "industry-leading performance, powerful functions and great efficiency," the company emphasized.

The expansion at the Munich location, together with additional investments in research and development, will amount to over a billion euros in the next three years alone.

Group CEO Tim Cook said he is excited to see what the engineering teams in Munich will discover - from exploring new possibilities in 5G technology to a new generation of technologies that would enable even more performance, speed and connectivity.

"Munich has been a home for Apple for four decades, and we are grateful to the city and Germany for what we have achieved together and look forward to the path that lies ahead."

In addition to the development laboratories in Nabern near Kirchheim unter Teck, Apple is expanding its 30,000 square meter site on Karlstrasse in downtown Munich.

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