Cesc Guim: Marathons for microchips

Cesc Guim (Reus, 1981) has spent his entire life running marathons, both literally and figuratively, as he's one of the minds who has contributed most to the technological race for microchips. A computer engineer from the UPC, with a PhD in Architecture and Computational Science, a renowned inventor of patents at the Intel group, and now CEO of Openchip, Guim controls the future of a strategic company in Barcelona and the entire European Union.

"There are only three or four companies on the continent dedicated to designing cutting-edge microchips. It's a crucial technology for our technological sovereignty because it's installed in high-performance computers that process all the information generated by artificial intelligence," he notes.

Since he was a child, Guim has been passionate about science and computing. He grew up in a home surrounded by books and machines, influenced by his parents, who were both teachers and, in his father's case, a computer scientist. "My entire career has been strongly influenced by technology. I started programming at ten years old and haven't stopped since," he says. He also hasn't stopped practicing athletics, his way of compensating for intellectual effort. Throughout his life, he's completed triathlons, duathlons, marathons, and now, if that weren't enough, half marathons. "Whenever I can, I go running. Whenever I travel for work, I always pack a pair of sneakers. I even choose hotels closest to parks so I can go running. I don't care if the hotels aren't luxurious..." Sport, he says, has been a guiding light in his professional career: it has instilled in him routine, planning, and, above all, the value of sacrifice.

Among his greatest achievements are the publication of 60 scientific articles and the Intel Top Inventor medal, for having authored more than 600 patents within the American multinational, one of the world leaders in the microchip industry. "I was recruited at the Barcelona center, and when it closed in 2014, I continued working for the group remotely, leading a European-wide team. I spent my days creating ideas..." he says, recalling that 17-year tenure.

After designing 600 patents at Intel, Guim leads Openchip, a strategic firm in Barcelona and the EU

Guim could have continued his life without any changes, but the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and GTD, the owners of Openchip, came knocking, offering him the leadership of the business. “It made me dizzy. I had two daughters and a stable job, but a moment of reflection prompted me to take the plunge: I thought the benefits of the 600 patents I had designed had gone beyond Europe and Catalonia, and that, given the current state of the world, I couldn't waste the opportunity to retain this knowledge here.”

Guim took office in May 2024 and hasn't stopped since. "It's been very hard. In 13 months, we've gone from having a workforce of 20 to 250 people. We've strengthened our Barcelona headquarters and opened branches in Italy, Poland, Germany, Belgium, and Ireland," he notes. The public-private company has received a €111 million injection from the European Next Generation Fund and another €25 million in public funds. It now seeks to raise between €300 and €400 million more. These are typical figures for companies aspiring to become leaders in the microchip industry, seeking to rival Nvidia or Intel.

At the moment, Openchip is finalizing its own microprocessor, hoping to launch the first prototype in 2026 and begin mass sales in 2028. In parallel, it is also developing software aimed at securely managing AI models. Guim assures that there is interest from several European financial institutions and institutions. In any case, he is convinced that this race cannot be won alone, like a marathon, but rather by collaborating with various European companies. The EU faces a gigantic technological challenge, and Openchip, based in Barcelona, can help overcome it.