Purdue University President Mung Chiang addresses Purdue's newest international partnership in semiconductor innovation, with Belgium-based imec. Chiang is flanked by imec CEO Luc Van den hove, Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, U.S. Sen. Todd Young and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Purdue University and the state of Indiana continue semiconductor research with a first-of-its-kind agreement with a cutting-edge European nano and digital technology innovation hub.
Interversity Microelectronics Centre (imec) joined Purdue University President Mung Chiang, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, U.S. Sen. Todd Young and Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers in announcing the partnership during the SelectUSA Investment Summit, an annual international investment event by the U.S. Department of Commerce near Washington, D.C.
"Purdue University and the state of Indiana have become the heart of the silicon heartland. Purdue is the most visible and forward-leaning university in the U.S. in the semiconductor degrees program, in research innovation to rewrite the economic equation of on-shoring fabs and packaging, in industry partnership with over 20 leading companies and in national leadership in CHIPS for America's execution," Chiang said. "Today we mark a milestone for semiconductor collaboration between the U.S. and Europe by forming the R&D partnership with imec-the best example of successful collaboration across universities, companies and the government. We warmly welcome the imec ecosystem to the home of America's top four engineering and top five patent-receiving university."
The announcement is the latest for Purdue in a rapidly expanding resume of investments in microelectronics industry research and semiconductor workforce development. Purdue has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies for its advances in workforce development in semiconductors and microelectronics.
"This is a global piece of the puzzle that marks another milestone in Purdue's semiconductor programs and Indiana's emerging microelectronics industry," said Mark Lundstrom, Purdue's Chief Semiconductor Officer and Senior Adviser to the university president. "Future-focused partnerships like this help bring together world-class expertise and state-of-the-art facilities."
With research sites across Belgium, imec leverages state-of-the-art research and development in advanced semiconductor technologies and artificial intelligence, uniting world industry leaders across the semiconductor value chain.
The collaboration will strengthen the growing semiconductor ecosystem in Indiana and at Purdue with a steady exchange of expertise in the continually evolving and expanding industry. A stream of students, faculty and professionals are expected to bolster the already growing semiconductor foundation at Purdue with new innovations and research.
Zhihong Chen, the Mary Jo and Robert L. Kirk Director of the Birck Nanotechnology Center, said partnering with imec will enable Purdue to further strengthen the relevance of its research to the semiconductor industry. "imec is one of the most well-known lab-to-fab facilities," Chen said. "They have helped the latest technologies or innovations discovered in labs to be converted into fab-ready types of technologies for industry to adopt."
Joerg Appenzeller, Purdue's Barry M. and Patricia L. Epstein Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said imec will have a presence on Purdue's campus, working side-by-side with faculty and students at the Birck Nanotechnology Center. Additionally, students and faculty will have an opportunity to work in Belgium.
Working with imec falls in line with the university's recently announced Purdue Computes initiative. The announced $100 million Purdue investment in semiconductor research and learning facilities includes a phase 1 update of the Scifres Nanofabrication Laboratory located in the Birck Nanotechnology Center, an on-campus hub for microelectronics research, as well as global partnerships.
"The creative engine at Purdue is a very strong attraction for imec," Appenzeller said. "They understand that we both have complementary pieces of knowledge and capabilities, and that we do not want to duplicate what they already have in Belgium. We want to have something here that is complementary in terms of tools, processes and capabilities."
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