Apple announced Wednesday that Munich, Germany, will be its European Silicon Design Center. It is building a new state-of-the-art facility there at which hundreds of staff will focus on connectivity and wireless technologies.
Apple Building New Facility in Munich, Germany to Develop 5G And Wireless Technologies
Taking into account both the new Munich site and R&D investment, Apple will invest €1 billion (US$1,189,415,000) in Germany over the next three years. Apple CEO Tim Cook commented:
I couldn’t be more excited for everything our Munich engineering teams will discover — from exploring the new frontiers of 5G technology, to a new generation of technologies that bring power, speed, and connectivity to the world. Munich has been a home to Apple for four decades, and we’re grateful to this community and to Germany for being a part of our journey.”
This new facility will take up 30,000-square-meters and be located in Karlstrasse area of central Munich. Staff will start moving into it in late 2022. Apple said that the architecture and gardens there highlight local materials. It will have LEED Gold environmental certification on day one, and run on 100 percent renewable energy. It will be home for Apple’s cellular unit, with the focus on 5G and future wireless technologies. The building will also be the largest R&D site for mobile wireless semiconductors and software in Europe.
Company History in a Historic City
Apple already has deep roots in both Munich and Germany as a whole. Indeed, the company has been operating in the city since 1981. It opened the Bavarian Design Center in 2015, which now employs over 350 engineers. Their work on power management design contributed to the M1 chip. The company has also added silicon engineering sites in Nabern, Kirchheim unter Teck. Over the last five years, Apple said it has spent over 15 billion euros with more than 700 companies across Germany.