Arm, DARPA Sign Agreement for Product Access Framework

Chipmaker Arm announced that it has entered a three-year agreement with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, creating an access framework for the company's commercially available technologies. 

In line with the progress of DARPA's Electronics Resurgence Initiative, the agency will be able to more easily leverage Arm intellectual property, tools and support across a variety of fields, the company announced Thursday.

“Our expanded DARPA partnership will provide them with access to the broadest range of Arm technology to develop compute solutions supported by the world’s largest ecosystem of tools, services and software, said Rene Haas, Arm's president for intellectual property products. 

Haas added that the partnership unlocks a wide range of new opportunities for future technological innovation. 

According to Arm, the expanded partnership will also provide DARPA researchers with technologies for accessing vertical market compute from small embedded sensors to high-performance systems. 

Arm's intellectual property license will allow DARPA to access the company's expansive open compute ecosystem of silicon designers and software developers.

DARPA will also have guidance throughout the development cycle from concept formation to real-world deployment, according to Arm.

“DARPA’s programs within the Microsystems Technology Office focus on the most advanced challenges in microelectronics; equipping our community with best in class technologies is essential not only for break-through scientific and engineering advances, but also for improved transition into military and commercial applications," said Serge Leef, a lead designer of automation and hardware programs in MTO. 

Arm is a semiconductor and software design subsidiary wholly owned by Japan-based SoftBank Group. It is a major supplier for companies in the computer technology space.