The tie-up involves Samsung, Infineon Technologies of Germany, Chartered Semiconductor of Singapore and IBM and Freescale Semiconductor from the United States.

Samsung said the five would jointly develop technology for non-memory chips using their 32-nanometer semiconductor process by 2010.

The project will help the five firms synchronise manufacturing facilities to produce "high-performance, energy-efficient" chips, it said in a statement.

"We expect to deliver breakthrough technology by working together with our partners, who bring a variety of expertise as leaders in the industry," said Samsung's semiconductor division head Kwon Oh-Hyun in a statement.