Barcelona / Tokyo – 13 November, 2025. Openchip, a pioneering Europe-born company in the design of high-performance accelerator chips for advanced computing applications, and NEC Corporation, a global leader in IT and network technologies, announced the next stage of their strategic collaboration aimed at co-developing a next- generation Vector Processing Unit (VPU).
The collaboration between companies began with an agreement signed earlier this year, which enabled a feasibility study on developing the next generation of vector processing Aurora systems using Openchip’s RISC-V-based hardware and software stack. This initial stage focused on evaluating the compatibility of NEC’s Aurora’s architecture with Openchip’s accelerators, defining the logical design and developing early-stage software components. The successful outcome of this study demonstrated both the technical feasibility and the potential impact of combining the two companies’ expertise.
Building on these results, Openchip and NEC will now co-develop the next generation of high-performance accelerator cards. This includes joint work on architectural definition as well as the development of an optimized software stack to ensure seamless interaction between hardware and software. The two companies are also exploring opportunities for early pilot deployments with selected customers to validate performance gains in real- world environments.
Cesc Guim, CEO of Openchip, said: “We are excited to deepen our collaboration with NEC, combining our respective strengths to advance the next generation of computing technology. This partnership reflects the strong synergies between our teams and underscores our shared vision of pushing technological boundaries together. Strengthening ties with Japan, a strategic partner for the European Union, not only
enhances our global reach but also reinforces our commitment to building a resilient and forward-looking semiconductor ecosystem”.
“This collaboration with Openchip represents a pivotal moment in NEC’s strategic evolution toward next-generation computing architectures,” said Suhun Yun, Senior Vice President, NEC. “By combining our half-century of expertise in vector computing with Openchip’s innovative RISC-V ecosystem, we are positioning NEC at the forefront of industry transformation. This partnership will also create new possibilities for high-
performance workloads across various critical domains, including HPC/AI applications such as climate modeling, engineering, life sciences, nanoscience, and large language models. This strategic alliance reinforces our commitment to driving global innovation that addresses society’s most pressing computational challenges through transformative computing technologies”.
A key milestone in the global semiconductor landscape
This collaboration marks an important milestone in the global semiconductor landscape. By joining forces, Openchip and NEC are laying the groundwork for breakthrough innovations in vector acceleration, contributing to a more diverse, resilient, and performance-driven technology ecosystem capable of addressing the most demanding computational challenges of the future.
The collaboration aims to deliver several key benefits:
- Enhanced performance for critical workloads: Providing new levels of computational power for High Performance Computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), as well as scientific applications such as genomics, climate modelling and advanced simulations.
- Robust technology integration: Ensuring that hardware and software are co-designed for maximum efficiency, scalability and ease of adoption.
- Stronger international ties: Reinforcing cooperation between Europe and Japan to strengthen semiconductor ecosystems and supply chains.
- Path toward commercialization: Ensuring continuity for existing NEC customers by guaranteeing compatibility with their current software environments and minimizing the need for model re-work, while establishing a solid foundation for future deployment of Openchip’s technology within NEC’s customer base worldwide.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of ITand network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.” NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential.
For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.
About Openchip
Openchip is a European systems company developing a unique portfolio of RISC-V–based accelerators, infrastructure hardware and full-stack software for next-generation AI and HPC applications. Headquartered in Barcelona, with a growing presence across Europe, Openchip unites top silicon and software engineering talent with a strong focus on AI. Its end-to-end optimized products advance digital sovereignty and deliver top-tier performance for Europe’s most critical computing needs.
For more information, visit https://openchip.com/