In this exclusive interview, Vaishali Umredkar, Executive Editor of Electronics Maker speaks with Ricardo De Sa Earp, Executive Vice President, General-Purpose Microcontroller Sub-Group at STMicroelectronics to explore the groundbreaking collaboration between STMicroelectronics and Qualcomm and its impact on the wireless IoT industry. Together, the two companies are advancing a roadmap for seamless integration of wireless connectivity within ST’s STM32 microcontroller ecosystem, laying a foundation for more connected, intelligent, and responsive IoT devices. In this discussion, Ricardo De Sa Earp provides insights into the collaboration’s importance, the role of edge AI, and the challenges and solutions in integrating Qualcomm’s SoC with STM32 MCUs. We also uncover key applications that stand to benefit from this powerful alliance.
1. Why is the collaboration between STMicroelectronics and Qualcomm significant for the wireless IoT industry?
The STMicroelectronics and Qualcomm collaboration marks a significant milestone for the wireless IoT industry as it combines ST’s leading microcontroller ecosystem with Qualcomm’s best-in-class wireless connectivity solutions. This association enables seamless integration of wireless connectivity into STM32 microcontrollers which accelerates development of feature-rich IoT applications. Not only does this collaboration expand the addressable market for both companies but it also supports the growth of the wireless IoT industry, which is expected to reach 80+ billion connected devices by 2028.
This is a first step in a collaboration that envisions a roadmap of Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo SoC products over time, with the intention to extend into cellular connectivity for industrial IoT applications.
2. How does edge AI enhance the value of industrial and consumer IoT applications in this collaboration?
Wireless connectivity is key to the fast pervasion of edge AI across the growing variety of use cases in industrial, enterprise and personal applications.
This is also underpinned by ABI Research, which is projecting that the installed base of consumer, commercial and industrial connected devices is expected to reach well over 80 billion units by 2028, and the proliferation of high-performance wireless connectivity solutions combined with a diverse suite of microcontrollers will be fundamental in enabling this next wave of wireless IoT innovation.
This collaboration sees Edge AI enhancing IoT applications in several ways, from enabling real-time processing and decision-making to reducing latency and dependence on cloud connectivity, the opportunities are endless. Edge AI improves security and data privacy, enhances automation and control capabilities and supports predictive maintenance and anomaly detection. Through this collaboration, Edge AI will enable more intelligent, autonomous, and interactive IoT devices.
3. What challenges do you foresee in integrating Qualcomm’s SoC with STM32 MCUs, and how could ST’s software ecosystem help overcome them?
Extensive research has focused on the seamless integration of Qualcomm’s SoC with STMicroelectronics’ MCUs. Potential challenges might arise from hardware-software compatibility, the complexity of integration, and optimizing power consumption and performance. However, ST’s robust software ecosystem provides a strong foundation for overcoming these hurdles. Its comprehensive middleware, libraries, and communication protocols simplify integration, while its power management frameworks and development environments streamline software development and ensure efficient performance optimization. We provide to our customer an easy path to bring connectivity to their existing and future solution.
4. What tactics have you employed to establish a strong brand presence in a competitive market landscape?
Although there is a fierce competition in the wireless microcontrollers market, we have a solid value proposition for our customers, where we will help drive a significant acceleration of feature-rich capabilities across the IoT. Together, we are setting new developer experiences with wireless connectivity to be added to the STM32 developer ecosystem for IoT applications, supporting seamless integration and optimal performance for developers and end-users alike. To maintain our strong brand presence, the choice of partner is essential. The partnership with Qualcomm is the ideal combination as it brings to the well-known ST brand the wireless technology of the undisputed leader in WiFi.
5. Can you share key applications targeted through this agreement?
According to the ABI Research, the installed base of consumer, commercial and industrial connected devices is expected to reach well over 80 billion units by 2028 and the proliferation of high-performance wireless connectivity solutions combined with a diverse suite of microcontrollers will be fundamental in enabling this next wave of wireless IoT innovation. It has to be noted that this agreement does not restrict the targeted markets nor application.
Examples within industrial and consumer applications, where we see a high potential: Smart appliances, home automation, energy management, industrial IoT, etc.
