Nordic Semiconductor supplies some of the electronics that enable everyday objects to communicate: sensors, computer accessories, household equipment and wearable devices. This Norwegian semiconductor company specializes in wireless communications and energy efficiency. It operates as a “fabless” designer: it develops its circuits and relies on industrial partners to manufacture them. Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, it serves an international market from its headquarters in Trondheim.
Norwegian roots, a global market
Founded in 1983 as Nordic VLSI, the company emerged from Norway’s microelectronics ecosystem. It adopted the name Nordic Semiconductor in 2004. Its evolution reflects the shift from specialized circuits to integrated platforms designed to be embedded in mass-produced electronic products.
The development of Bluetooth Low Energy marked a turning point for its business. This technology enables data exchange while limiting energy use, a key constraint for battery-powered devices. Nordic has built a development environment around its chips that makes it easier for manufacturers to adopt them. This approach allows it to serve both startups and industrial groups with their own electronics teams.
From radio chips to development platforms
The core offering consists of systems-on-chip combining a processor, memory, radio functions and peripherals. The nRF52, nRF53 and nRF54 families cover different computing, connectivity and power consumption requirements. Depending on the models and software configurations, supported technologies include Bluetooth Low Energy, Thread and Zigbee. Nordic also participates in the Matter ecosystem, which aims to improve interoperability among smart home devices.
The company has expanded its portfolio into Wi-Fi with the nRF70 family, as well as low-power cellular communications with the nRF91 family, particularly for LTE-M and NB-IoT networks. These solutions target devices that need to transmit data beyond the range of a local network, such as asset tracking devices and sensors deployed in the field.
These components are complemented by power management circuits, development kits and software tools. The nRF Connect SDK, based notably on the Zephyr real-time operating system, plays an important role in this offering. The aim is to reduce integration work while giving developers the means to manage security and updates.
What next?
Nordic’s trajectory will depend in particular on the adoption of connected devices in industry, healthcare and buildings. Its prospects rest on a demanding balance: more functions without compromising battery life or increasing costs. In a competitive and cyclical sector, software quality, platform longevity and customer support will matter as much as radio performance. The convergence of connectivity, security and local data processing is therefore a key direction for its next generations of products.