Intel’s new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, is considering a major shake-up of the company’s chip manufacturing strategy as he seeks to revive the struggling U.S. semiconductor giant, Reuters reported.

At the heart of the possible shift is Intel’s “foundry” business, which manufactures chips for external clients. Tan is reportedly weighing whether to halt the promotion of Intel’s 18A and 18A-P chipmaking technologies to outside customers. The move would mark a significant departure from former CEO Pat Gelsinger’s strategy, which had focused heavily on 18A.

Developing 18A has cost Intel billions of dollars. Should the company decide to write off those investments, industry analysts estimate losses could run into the hundreds of millions — or more.

While Intel declined to comment on what it termed “market speculation,” it reaffirmed that its internal chips will still be manufactured using 18A. The company’s Panther Lake processors, scheduled for release in late 2025, are expected to be the most advanced chips designed and built in the U.S.

As delays dogged the 18A rollout, rival TSMC has moved ahead with its next-generation N2 process. In response, Tan is reportedly refocusing resources on 14A — a forthcoming manufacturing process he believes could give Intel an edge and help win contracts from major customers like Apple and Nvidia.

Tan has tasked his team with presenting strategic options to Intel’s board, potentially as early as this month, though a final decision may not come until later in the year.

Intel will still produce 18A chips already promised to clients such as Amazon and Microsoft, but the broader shift to 14A would represent one of Tan’s boldest moves since taking over in March, as he attempts to steer the company out of its worst financial year since 1986.