MediaTek Inc (聯發科), the world’s biggest supplier of chips used in 5G smartphones, yesterday said it is to increase its research and development (R&D) budget by 10 to 20 percent this year as it continues to broaden its product portfolio beyond mobile phone chips.
The Hsinchu-based fabless company is seeking to grow by investing heavily in R&D in new fields, including chips for ARM-based Chromebooks, vehicles and industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices.
Last year, MediaTek spent 29 percent more on R&D — NT$100 billion (US$3.62 billion) — while its revenue soared about 53 percent to NT$493.41 billion, driven primarily by strong