MediaTek, the Taiwanese chip vendor locked in a tussle with Qualcomm to lead the smartphone system-on-chip market, has become Intel’s third major foundry customer. Building a chip manufacturing business to challenge the leaders, TSMC of Taiwan and Samsung of Korea, is a key strategic growth objective of Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. It also aligns with the USA’s bid to increase its self-sufficiency and global impact in strategic semiconductor technologies such as those for 5G devices and AI. Intel already has a foundry deal with Qualcomm, despite competing with the fellow US firm in some areas, and has now added MediaTek, which will split its business between its existing partner, TSMC, and Intel Foundry Services (IFS). In particular, this…