# 2020 Mega-Merger #3 | An AI Ecosystem (Almost) from Scratch

- Show: [EE Times Current](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current)
- Published: 2020-10-30
- Length: 46m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-10-30-2020-mega-merger-3-an-ai-ecosystem-almost-from-scratch
- Listen: https://www.eetimes.com/podcasts/eetoa-103020/

## Summary

Tirias Research analyst Kevin Krewell explains that AMD's $35 billion acquisition of Xilinx creates a diversified powerhouse, combining AMD's CPU/GPU strength with Xilinx's FPGA and Versal technologies to target data center, edge, and embedded markets. Meanwhile, IBM Research VP Mukesh Khare and Synopsys VP Arun Venkatachar discuss the IBM Research AI Hardware Center, a public-private partnership aimed at building an end-to-end AI ecosystem from devices to software. They detail their goal of improving AI compute efficiency by 1,000 times in 10 years through innovations in heterogeneous integration, chiplets, and analog AI, leveraging Synopsys' EDA tools and the broader ecosystem including Samsung and Applied Materials.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-10-30-2020-mega-merger-3-an-ai-ecosystem-almost-from-scratch#t=0) Introduction: AMD-Xilinx Merger and AI Ecosystem Overview
- [3:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-10-30-2020-mega-merger-3-an-ai-ecosystem-almost-from-scratch#t=225) Kevin Krewell on AMD-Xilinx Strategic Rationale and Market Impact
- [15:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-10-30-2020-mega-merger-3-an-ai-ecosystem-almost-from-scratch#t=902) IBM Research AI Hardware Center: Goals and Partnerships
- [27:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-10-30-2020-mega-merger-3-an-ai-ecosystem-almost-from-scratch#t=1663) IBM and Synopsys on AI Hardware Innovation and Analog Technology
- [44:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-10-30-2020-mega-merger-3-an-ai-ecosystem-almost-from-scratch#t=2696) Conclusion: Industry Outlook and Podcast Wrap-up

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- AMD (company)
- Xilinx (company)
- IBM (company)
- Synopsys (company)
- NVIDIA (company)
- Intel (company)
- Lattice (company)
- Samsung (company)
- Applied Materials (company)
- Tokyo Electron (company)
- Broadcom (company)
- Analog Devices (company)
- Maxim Integrated (company)
- SoftBank (company)
- ARM Holdings (company)
- Google (company)
- Facebook (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Red Hat (company)
- MIT (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [EP 137: OpenAI + AMD, Intel Tech Touch, QCOM buys Arduino](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-10-13-ep-137-openai-amd-intel-tech-touch-qcom-buys-arduino) (The Circuit)
- [Ep. 43 | Mark Papermaster: The EE and Exec Behind Apple, IBM, Cisco, and AMD's Success](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-04-12-ep-43-mark-papermaster-the-ee-and-exec-behind-apple-ibm-cisco-and-amds-success) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Heterogeneous Computing with Raja Koduri](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-07-18-heterogeneous-computing-with-raja-koduri) (Oxide and Friends)
- [Inside a Multi-$Billion IP Engine Driving IC and EDA Innovations](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2026-09-22-inside-a-multi-billion-ip-engine-driving-ic-and-eda-innovations) (Moore's Lobby)
- [AMD's MI300 and the Future of Accelerated Compute](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-12-12-amds-mi300-and-the-future-of-accelerated-compute) (Oxide and Friends)

## Citing this page

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