Infineon Technologies Austria has bought its portfolio company Dice, a Johannes Kepler University spinout that produces integrated circuits for radar-powered sensors.
Danube Integrated Circuit Engineering (Dice), an Austria-based supplier of integrated circuits for radar-powered sensors based on Johannes Kepler University (JKU) research, has been wholly acquired by chip manufacturer Infineon Technologies Austria for an undisclosed sum.
Infineon Technologies Austria operates from Linz, also home to JKU and Dice, as a subdivision of semiconductor production group Infineon Technologies focused on mobility, energy efficiency and security.
Founded in 1999, Dice produces highly-integrated radio frequency circuits that underpin radar sensor chips, with a focus on driver assistance, mobile phone and navigation applications.
The company – founded by Richard Hagelauer, professor and head of JKU’s Institute for Integrated Circuits – will now assist Infineon’s local unit to develop chipsets for autonomous vehicles and mobile devices.
Gerhard Riess, senior director for radar excellence at Dice, will leave following the acquisition to take an international management role within the Infineon group.
Infineon already owned a minority stake in Dice, although full details could not be ascertained.
The firm is currently building a new R&D hub for Dice in Linz with enough capacity for 220 additional employees, bringing the spinout’s potential headcount to 400.
