[Applied Materials Invests $5 Billion to Build Chip R&D Center, Aiming to Halve AI Chip Development Cycle] BlockBeats News, October 14 — Applied Materials, the world's largest semiconductor equipment manufacturer, officially unveiled the EPIC Semiconductor R&D Center. The project, located in Sunnyvale, California, has a total investment estimated at $5 billion and aims to accelerate innovation in advanced chip technologies for the AI era. The EPIC Center spans approximately 600,000 square feet, with industry giants such as Intel, TSMC, Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung deploying research teams to collaborate with Applied Materials engineers. These teams will gain early access to the latest semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Applied Materials stated that the center is expected to reduce the development-to-commercialization cycle for next-generation chip architectures from the typical 10 to 12 years to as short as 6 years. The center is primarily focused on research and development rather than chip mass production, meaning it does not immediately signal a direct return of U.S. chip manufacturing capabilities in the short term. However, it is expected to strengthen Silicon Valley's competitiveness in advanced semiconductor and AI chip fields. Applied Materials' stock closed down 2.88% on Tuesday but turned upward in after-hours trading, currently up 0.74%, with its market capitalization recovering to $83 billion. [Original Link]