Technology: Intel says that the development of new data center chips is expected to rise in the first quarter

On Monday, Intel said it will scale up development in the first quarter for a new data center chip and that this year a new generation of chipmaking technologies would become a core part of its output. 

With delays in ramping up the existing 10-nanometer semiconductor production technology and the next-generation 7-nanometer process, Intel, the largest producer of central processor chips for both PCs and data center servers that power the internet, has failed. The delays also helped competitors like Advanced Micro Devices to capture market share.

Intel also faces an activist investor, Third Point LLC, which is pushing the company to re-evaluate its manufacturing strategy.

Intel plans to announce whether it plans to outsource production for some of its 2023 products on an earnings call on January 21. 

In the meantime, Intel said on Monday that its "Ice Lake" server chips produced on its 10-nanometer process will begin to increase production this quarter, although there were no clear volumes. It also said 50 new processor architectures for PCs will be launched this year, with 30 of those using the new 10-nanometer technology. 

Overall, Intel said it expects the 10-nanometer chips to eclipse its older 14-nanometer chip generation later this year in terms of output volumes.

On Monday, the company also provided details of a chip on which its autonomous driving subsidiary Mobileye is operating for a lidar sensor, a laser-based technology that allows vehicles to get a three-dimensional view of the road. 

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The lidar chip will be assembled in one of Intel's New Mexico factories and will combine both active and passive components into a single chip, which could not be used outside chip factories, said Jack Weast, vice president of Mobileye.