Imagination Joins Baidu PaddlePaddle "Hardware Ecosystem Co-Creation Program"

Unlocking comprehensive and optimised solutions for downstream chip and application developers

London, England - May 20, 2022 – Imagination Technologies and PaddlePaddle today launch a Hardware Ecosystem Co-creation Program at the WAVE SUMMIT 2022 in Beijing.

Leveraging the companies’ joint expertise in the hardware and software market, the collaboration will combine the advanced algorithms and flexibility of PaddlePaddle software and the high-power compute capability of Imagination’s processor cores. The partnership will support chip and application developers in creating fully optimised solutions with greater ease for a range of deep-learning-based implementations.

Featuring Imagination’s heterogeneous GPU, CPU and AI Semiconductor IP, the partnership offers an efficient and flexible software stack solution achieved through a close hardware-software collaboration, ultimately providing design guidance and benchmark references for chip vendors. Imagination and PaddlePaddle have jointly optimised the full stack solution from model to IP, built a Model Zoo offering reference solutions to platforms and end customers. The partnership will also develop training courses and will offer joint training certification for PaddlePaddle developers who use the Imagination Neural Compute SDK.

Shreyas Derashri, VP of Compute, Imagination, says: "We are delighted to join Baidu, and other partners, in launching the Hardware Ecosystem Co-creation Program to unlock the next level of co-created software-hardware chip design. Imagination has a longstanding relationship with Baidu, developing a joint hardware ecosystem in 2020 and a global AI ecosystem in 2021. Our continued collaboration leverages our joint strengths in advanced computing to deliver more optimised solutions for the industry.”

Qiao Zhao, Head of PaddlePaddle Product team, Baidu, says, "Imagination, as a leading global processor technology and IP provider, has given great support to PaddlePaddle in terms of both technology and ecosystem. We are excited for our collaboration in various AI applications which further leverages Baidu's industry-leading deep learning framework algorithms and open platforms, and better supports downstream customers in these markets."

About Imagination Technologies

Imagination is a UK-based company that creates silicon and software IP (intellectual property) designed to give its customers an edge in competitive global technology markets. Its GPU, CPU and AI technologies enable outstanding power, performance, and area (PPA), fast time-to-market and lower total cost of ownership. Products based on Imagination IP are used by billions of people across the globe in their smartphones, cars, homes, and workplaces.

See www.imaginationtech.com.

About Baidu

Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation. Baidu is one of the very few companies in the world that offers a full AI stack, encompassing an infrastructure that consists of AI chips, deep learning framework, core AI capabilities, as well as an open AI platform to facilitate wide application and usage. Baidu has been named by international organizations as one of the top four leading global AI companies. With its mission to “make the complicated world simpler through technology”, Baidu promotes constant technological innovation, and is committed to being a top global technology company which best understands users’ needs and enables their growth.