35 years of Arm innovation: The 35 Arm-powered products that redefined modern computing – Arm Newsroom

Report on Arm’s 35-Year Contribution to Sustainable Global Computing

Introduction: Aligning Technological Advancement with Sustainable Development Goals

Over the past 35 years, Arm’s architectural philosophy, centered on power efficiency, has been instrumental in the global proliferation of computing technology. This focus has not only enabled the transition from large, power-intensive systems to ubiquitous, connected devices but has also directly contributed to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By engineering high-performance, low-energy processors, Arm has provided a foundational platform for innovation that supports SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), promotes energy conservation in line with SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), and enhances global connectivity, which is crucial for SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). This report analyzes key product milestones in Arm’s history, contextualized within their impact on these global sustainability targets.

Foundational Period (1980s-1990s): Establishing Power Efficiency as a Core Principle

Contribution to SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)

The initial phase of Arm’s development established a design philosophy prioritizing power efficiency. This principle proved critical for the emergence of mobile computing and laid the groundwork for a scalable, licensed intellectual property (IP) model that democratized chip design, fostering widespread innovation in alignment with SDG 9.

1. BBC Micro (1981-1986): As the first device built on the ARM architecture, the BBC Micro was a significant educational tool. Its adoption in schools influenced a generation of engineers and programmers, directly supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education) by promoting digital literacy and technical skills.
2. Apple Newton (1993): While not a commercial success, this product was pivotal in the formation of Arm’s IP licensing model. This model spurred industry-wide innovation (SDG 9) by allowing numerous companies to develop specialized, efficient processors.
3. Nokia 6110 (1997): Powered by the Arm7 processor, this device exemplified the potential of energy-efficient computing in mass-market mobile communications. Its success helped build the global mobile infrastructure, a key component of SDG 9, while its low power consumption set a standard for responsible product design (SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production).

The Mobile Revolution (2000s): Democratizing Access to Information

Advancements in SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

This era was defined by the application of Arm’s energy-efficient architectures to a wave of mobile devices. These products transformed global communication and access to information, contributing significantly to building resilient infrastructure and reducing inequalities.

• Mobile Entertainment and Productivity: Devices like the iPod (2001) and Game Boy Advance (2001) demonstrated the viability of high-performance, low-power computing for portable applications. The Blackberry Quark series (2003) and Motorola Razr V3 (2004) further solidified mobile technology as essential for enterprise and personal communication, expanding the global digital infrastructure (SDG 9).
• Smartphones and Tablets: The launch of the first iOS (2007) and Android (2008) smartphones, followed by the iPad (2010), all based on Arm architecture, marked a turning point. These devices made the internet and advanced computing accessible to billions, helping to bridge the digital divide and support SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
• Digital Access to Knowledge: The first-generation Amazon Kindle (2007), built on an ARM9 processor, revolutionized access to literature and information, directly supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education) by making educational materials more portable and accessible.

Expansion into Diversified Markets (2010s): Enabling Sustainable Infrastructure and Systems

Impact on SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action)

The introduction of the Armv8 architecture enabled Arm’s expansion into new domains, including the Internet of Things (IoT), data centers, and automotive sectors. This brought Arm’s energy-efficient philosophy to critical infrastructure, promoting sustainability on a larger scale.

1. Smart Homes and IoT: Products like the Nest thermostat (2011), Ring video doorbell (2013), and Amazon Echo (2015) utilized Arm processors to create intelligent home ecosystems. These devices contribute to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) by enabling more efficient energy management in households.
2. Education and Prototyping: The Raspberry Pi (2012) provided an accessible, low-cost platform for developers and students, fostering innovation in IoT and technology education, thereby advancing both SDG 9 and SDG 4.
3. Sustainable Data Centers: The AWS Graviton processor (2018), initially based on Cortex-A72 cores, marked a significant step towards energy-efficient cloud computing. By reducing the power consumption of data centers, this development directly addresses SDG 7, SDG 12, and SDG 13. The Fugaku supercomputer (2020), also Arm-based, demonstrated that world-leading performance could be achieved with superior energy efficiency, enabling complex climate modeling (SDG 13) and scientific research (SDG 9).
4. Automotive and Transportation: The integration of Arm technology into systems like Tesla Autopilot (2016) and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (2020) is foundational to the development of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and in-vehicle infotainment. This contributes to safer and more efficient transportation, a key goal of SDG 11.

The Artificial Intelligence Era (2020s): Powering Intelligent and Efficient Systems

Driving Progress in SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)

In the current decade, Arm’s technology is fundamental to the deployment of AI, from edge devices to large-scale data centers. The focus remains on delivering the immense performance required for AI workloads while adhering to a strict power efficiency envelope, which is critical for sustainable technological growth.

• Sustainable AI Infrastructure: The development of custom silicon for cloud providers, such as the NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchip (2022), Microsoft Azure Cobalt 100 (2023), and Google Cloud Axion (2024), all built on the Arm Neoverse platform, underscores a major industry shift. These processors are designed to handle massive AI workloads with significantly lower energy consumption, promoting a more sustainable expansion of digital infrastructure in line with SDG 9 and SDG 12.
• Robotics and Autonomous Systems: Arm CPUs power advanced robotics like the Boston Dynamics Spot Robot (2023) and autonomous vehicle technology from Nuro (2023). These innovations drive industrial efficiency (SDG 9) and have the potential to create more sustainable logistics and urban services (SDG 11).
• Edge AI and Personal Computing: The proliferation of AI into consumer devices, such as the Meta ray-ban smart glasses (2025) and the NVIDIA DGX Spark (2025) personal AI workstation, is enabled by Arm’s ability to deliver high-performance, low-power processing. This allows for localized AI computation, reducing reliance on energy-intensive data centers and supporting more responsible consumption patterns (SDG 12).

Conclusion: A Foundational Platform for Sustainable Technological Advancement

Arm’s 35-year history demonstrates a consistent and impactful contribution to global sustainable development. Its unwavering focus on power efficiency has become a critical enabler for a connected, intelligent world, directly supporting the objectives of SDGs related to energy, climate, infrastructure, education, and equality. As the demands of AI and ubiquitous computing grow, Arm’s role as a foundational platform for energy-efficient innovation remains essential for ensuring that future technological progress is both powerful and sustainable.

SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• The article repeatedly emphasizes Arm’s core design philosophy of “power efficiency.” By creating chips that combine high performance with low energy consumption, Arm’s technology directly contributes to reducing the energy footprint of billions of electronic devices, from mobile phones to large-scale data centers. This focus on making compute more efficient aligns with the goal of promoting clean and affordable energy.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article highlights how Arm’s innovations sparked a “global technology transformation,” creating new markets and industries such as mobile computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the smart home market. This technological upgrading and diversification drive economic productivity and growth. The mention of a “developer community… of over 22 million worldwide” also points to the creation of skilled jobs and economic opportunities within this ecosystem.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• This is the most central SDG in the article. The text is a chronicle of 35 years of technological innovation, from the first ARM architecture to modern AI superchips. It details the development of critical infrastructure for the digital age, including mobile networks powered by Arm-based phones, and energy-efficient data centers (AWS Graviton, Google Cloud Axion, Microsoft Azure Cobalt). The article also states that Arm’s impact reaches “100 percent of the connected global population,” underscoring its role in increasing access to information and communications technology.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The article mentions numerous technologies that are foundational to smart cities. These include smart home devices like the Nest thermostat and Amazon Echo for better home energy management, and the development of autonomous and connected vehicles (Tesla, Nuro, Geely) with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), which aim to create safer and more efficient transportation systems within urban environments.

Specific Targets Identified

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

1. Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
   • The article’s core theme is Arm’s success in making computing power-efficient. The statement, “By rethinking how performance and efficiency could co-exist, Arm made it possible for compute to be efficient enough to fit into the smallest devices,” directly addresses the goal of improving energy efficiency on a global scale, given the 325 billion Arm-based chips in use.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation.
   • The article lists 35 landmark products that represent significant technological upgrades and innovations over 35 years. These products, from the first smartphones to AI superchips, have created and transformed entire industries, thereby driving economic productivity.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

1. Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency.
   • The development of energy-efficient CPUs for data centers, such as the AWS Graviton, Microsoft Azure Cobalt, and Google Cloud Axion, directly supports this target by making critical digital infrastructure more sustainable and resource-efficient.
2. Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation.
   • The article showcases continuous innovation, from early PCs to the Fugaku supercomputer, which became the “world’s most powerful supercomputer in 2020” and is used for scientific research. Products like the Raspberry Pi also empower a global community of developers and hobbyists to innovate.
3. Target 9.c: Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet.
   • Arm’s role in the “mobile revolution,” powering early devices like the Nokia 6110 and the first iOS and Android smartphones, was instrumental in expanding access to communications technology. The article claims Arm’s impact “reaches 100 percent of the connected global population,” aligning with the goal of universal access.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Target 11.2: Provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all.
   • The article points to the integration of Arm technology in modern vehicles for “safety-critical advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)” and the development of “first-generation autonomous L4 technology” with partners like Nuro. This contributes to the evolution of safer and more sustainable transport systems.

Indicators Mentioned or Implied

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

1. Indicator for Target 7.3: The widespread adoption of power-efficient technology.
   • While not a formal UN indicator, the article implies progress through its central narrative. The statement that “power efficiency as the design philosophy” is embedded in “more than 325 billion Arm-based chips” serves as a powerful qualitative indicator of a global improvement in energy efficiency for computing.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

1. Indicator for Target 9.5: The size and activity of the technology and developer community.
   • The article mentions a “developer community… of over 22 million worldwide.” This figure serves as a direct indicator of the scale of human capital engaged in technological innovation and research on the Arm platform.
2. Indicator for Target 9.c: The proportion of the population covered by a mobile network or connected technology.
   • The article explicitly states that the company’s impact “reaches 100 percent of the connected global population,” which can be used as a direct indicator of progress towards universal access to information and communication technologies.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Indicator for Target 11.2: The development and deployment of autonomous vehicle technology.
   • The mention of specific technologies like “Tesla Autopilot HW2,” “autonomous L4 technology” for Nuro, and ADAS in Mercedes-Benz vehicles serves as an indicator of progress in developing advanced, safer, and potentially more efficient transportation systems.

Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: newsroom.arm.com