Can Shared Chiplet Rules Spark a New Tech Boom?

UCIe adoption improves interoperability as advanced packaging ecosystems mature

16 Dec 2025

A shift towards open chiplet standards is gaining traction in the US semiconductor industry, reshaping how chips are designed and assembled and encouraging a more modular approach to advanced packaging.

At the centre of the change is the Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe) alliance, which is promoting shared connectivity standards to allow chiplets from different suppliers to work together more easily. The approach contrasts with traditional monolithic chips and proprietary architectures, offering designers greater flexibility by combining smaller, specialised components within a single package.

For years, limited interoperability slowed progress. Chiplets were often tightly coupled to specific vendors, raising costs and integration risks. Recent updates to UCIe, released late last summer, aim to ease those constraints by improving data transfer efficiency and strengthening power management and reliability within advanced packages.

UCIe is not itself a packaging technology. Instead, it acts as an enabling layer for techniques such as 2.5D integration and system-in-package designs, where multiple chiplets are assembled closely together to boost performance and reduce power use.

Large US technology groups including Intel, AMD and Qualcomm have backed open chiplet standards, arguing that common interfaces can shorten development cycles and make it easier to mix functions within a single system. Supporters say shared standards reduce the complexity of integration and testing, particularly as designs become more complex.

Analysts add that the impact could extend beyond established players. By lowering technical barriers, open standards may help smaller and more specialised chip designers enter markets that have historically been dominated by tightly controlled supply chains. Packaging and manufacturing partners could also benefit from clearer rules around validation and system integration.

Challenges remain. Full “plug-and-play” interoperability across vendors has yet to be achieved, and companies continue to weigh openness against the need to protect proprietary technology. Ensuring consistent performance across diverse components remains technically demanding.

Even so, momentum is building as open standards align with broader US efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor capabilities. As advanced packaging ecosystems continue to mature, shared chiplet interfaces are increasingly seen as a practical step towards a more competitive and resilient industry.