As reported by CNBC, on Monday, Lip-Bu Tan, the CEO of Intel, disclosed that the company's external chip foundry business is steadily advancing and has emerged as a pivotal element in its strategic recovery. Since assuming the role of CEO in March 2025, Tan has overseen a remarkable surge in Intel's stock price, which has soared by more than 300%. He highlighted that Intel's cutting-edge 18A manufacturing process has undergone significant enhancements, with yields rebounding and surpassing targets ahead of the anticipated timeline, thereby drawing keen interest from prospective clients. Notably, industry giants such as Apple have already entered into contracts to secure dedicated production capacity, with certain clients even opting to pay substrate fees in advance as a testament to their confidence. Furthermore, Intel anticipates finalizing commitments from a multitude of foundry clients in the latter half of this year. Looking ahead, the company expects its next-generation 14A process to reach mass production by 2029, positioning it as a formidable competitor to TSMC's 1.4nm process in the highly competitive semiconductor landscape.