NeuriCam chooses ARC microprocessor for automotive and fingerprint recognition applications

Elstree, England, 2 May 2001 - ARC International plc (LSE:ARK), a leading designer and developer of customisable, high performance processors and trading through its subsidiaries as ARC Cores, announced today that NeuriCam S.p.A, a fabless semiconductor company, has licensed ARC?s processor technology for use in its designs in automotive and fingerprint recognition technology.

NeuriCam develops diversified and innovative technologies for image sensing, machine vision and fast data processing. NeuriCam?s capabilities range from silicon design to system architectures and software development, enabling the company to develop both standard products for digital cameras and digital parallel processors, as well as customised vision systems and design services. The first design is being manufactured in TSMC?s 0.35 micron process through Austria Mikro Systeme International.

Alvise Sartori, general manager of NeuriCam, said, ?We have already completed one design using ARC?s microprocessor for an automotive application. We are now working on a fingerprint recognition chip for another customer. One of the main benefits of ARC?s processor is that it is silicon portable - which means we can take the design to any semiconductor foundry.?

Jim Turley, senior vice-president of technology strategy at ARC commented, ?ARC?s user-configurable 32-bit processor provides our customers with a key commercial benefit, in that they can point and click to configure a custom microprocessor and then take it to the semiconductor foundry of their choice. This is important when customers need control of their manufacturing, rather than being told by their silicon vendor which one they must use.?

About NeuriCam

NeuriCam S.p.A. is an innovation-oriented company operating in the design, manufacture and marketing of integrated circuits and systems for the industrial electronic market. Founded in 1998 by a group of researchers and industrial partners, NeuriCam is a ?fabless? company in which chip and system manufacturing are delegated to external facilities. The focus on design and testing allows NeuriCam to use state-of-the-art tools and equipment to produce and market highly sophisticated chips and systems while maintaining low production costs. The company?s web site is located at http://www.neuricam.com.

Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include, among others, market acceptance of the ARC technology; fluctuations in and unpredictability of the Company?s quarterly results; general economic and business conditions; regulatory policies adopted by governmental authorities; assumptions regarding the Company?s future business strategy; changes in technology; competition; ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; risks associated with the Company?s international operations; and other uncertainties that are discussed in the ?Investment Considerations? section of the Company?s listing particulars dated 28 September 2000 filed with the United Kingdom Listing Authority and the Registrar of Companies in England and Wales.

ARC International (UK) Ltd. and ARC Cores, Inc., both of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of ARC International plc, trade under the name of ARC Cores. ARC Cores is a trademark of ARC International (UK) Ltd. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders.