Intel made it clear on Thursday during the Citi 2025 Global TMT Conference that 2026 will be a decisive year for the future of its manufacturing technology.
According to CFO Dave Zinsner, that year will determine whether the company is ready to make the transition to the advanced 14A process, a crucial part of Intel’s long-term strategy to reclaim technological leadership.
Zinsner emphasizes that the construction of 14A production capacity will only proceed if there are sufficient commitments from external customers. According to Zinsner, this is purely financial common sense. The chip manufacturer wants to avoid making billions in investments without guaranteed sales. That position sounds logical, but earlier this year it caused concern among analysts and investors. After all, it could mean that Intel is putting its ambitions as a technological leader into perspective.
Criticism of Lip-Bu Tan
CEO Lip-Bu Tan was criticized for this policy in July, after which even US President Donald Trump weighed in on the discussion. Despite earlier doubts about Tan’s loyalty, the government struck a deal with Intel: in exchange for $8.9 billion, the US government acquired a stake of approximately 10 percent in the company. This stake is passive, but it does oblige Intel to maintain a majority position in its manufacturing activities.
An important part of Intel’s strategy is the spin-off of its foundry activities into a separate entity. This should open the door to future minority investments and bring more focus to customer collaboration. However, Zinsner indicated that this is “not really investable” in the short term, so new external shareholders are not expected for the time being.
New products on the way
In addition to the strategic changes, Zinsner also provided insight into the product roadmap. Panther Lake chips are expected to hit the market in late 2025, followed by an upscaling in 2026. Furthermore, Nova Lake is planned as an expansion into the desktop market. Both product lines are closely linked to the development of the 14A process, which should be running at full capacity around 2028–2029.