Applied Materials Names ASU, RPI and Stanford as EPIC Partners

Applied Materials, Inc. said Arizona State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Stanford University will join the company’s EPIC (Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization) Center in Silicon Valley. The move links university research teams with Applied’s scientists and engineers in an environment focused on manufacturing-relevant semiconductor work.

The company described EPIC as a shared, industry-scale R&D facility with access to chipmaking equipment. Applied said the center aims to reduce the time to commercialize breakthrough technologies, and it is on track to become operational in 2026.

Applied said EPIC is designed for collaboration between university teams and Applied staff, with research programs in advanced materials, novel process and device technologies, and chip architecture inflections. The company also tied the effort to work for energy-efficient innovations for next-generation AI chips.

Applied said the universities would be inaugural research partners at EPIC and would engage through close collaboration with Applied’s teams. Gary Dickerson, President and CEO of Applied Materials, said, “The EPIC Center is designed to bring together the best minds from industry and academia in a high-velocity, manufacturing-relevant environment to dramatically accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation semiconductor technologies that are foundational to AI computing,” said Gary Dickerson, President and CEO of Applied Materials. Michael Crow said, “We value our strong working relationship with Applied Materials and are excited to be among its inaugural university research partners of EPIC Center.” Martin Schmidt said, “Collaborating with Applied Materials and its ecosystem partners enables faster lab-to-fab breakthroughs in semiconductor materials, devices, and 3D integration.” H.S. Philip Wong said, “The EPIC Center enables our students and researchers to engage directly with industry-scale tools and experts, accelerating discovery while gaining the industry-relevant experience needed to lead future advances in semiconductor manufacturing.”

Forward-looking statements in the release covered Applied’s investment and growth strategies and plans for the EPIC Center, along with risks that could affect outcomes.