U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm’s proposed acquisition of Israeli auto-chip maker Autotalks will require approval from the European Union’s competition regulators, even though the deal falls below the EU’s turnover threshold. The European Commission stated that the deal’s significance to original equipment manufacturers and entities needing access to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) semiconductors necessitated antitrust scrutiny.
The EU competition watchdog revealed that 15 EU countries, including France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden, had requested an examination of the deal. Qualcomm must receive EU antitrust approval before finalizing the takeover.
This acquisition is particularly crucial due to its impact on the V2X technology sector, which is essential for enhancing road safety, traffic management, reducing CO2 emissions, and advancing autonomous vehicle deployment. The European Commission emphasizes the need to maintain competitive access to V2X technology for original equipment manufacturers and infrastructure managers.
Autotalks specializes in dedicated chips for V2X communications, contributing to improved road safety for both manned and autonomous vehicles.