Intel may have just landed the customer that could change everything. After years of trying to convince the industry it can manufacture advanced chips for other companies, Intel appears to have secured a major vote of confidence from Apple. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the iPhone maker would work with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the US, sending Intel’s shares soaring. The significance extends beyond a single deal. If the partnership materializes, it would mark a major milestone in Washington’s effort to expand domestic chip production while giving Apple another manufacturing option at a time when chip supply chain reliability has become a strategic priority. A partnership with a backdrop The announcement comes at an interesting time for Intel. For years, the chipmaker has been trying to reinvent itself as a leading contract manufacturer capable of producing advanced chips for other companies, a difficult task in a market largely dominated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Since returning to office, President Trump has repeatedly backed initiatives aimed at expanding domestic chip production, …