Rumor: Apple hires number of Intel engineers for hardware facility

Apple has reportedly hired a group of engineers, including former Intel employees, for a new hardware research facility in the US state of Oregon.

According to The Oregonian, about 24 men will occupy different positions at the newly established Apple location. The site relies on job openings, social media profiles and a person familiar with Apple’s plans.

It is a location in Washington County, where Intel is also strongly represented. Some of the people who started working at Apple were senior researchers at Intel. Apple was looking for individuals with expertise in design verification, among others.

There is a strong temptation to link it to rumors that Apple is working on its own processors for Macs as an alternative to Intel processors. The transition should start in 2020 at the earliest. However, Intel is active in many more areas than just processors and recently there have been major restructurings with many projects being scrapped.

Apple, in turn, is expanding considerably in the US. Last week it was announced via Mercury News that the company will move into a new location in Santa Clara, where Intel’s headquarters are located. In addition, the company would be looking for a suitable location for a new campus.