Latest news with #InnovateTogether
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
IIT Kharagpur and Singapore's IME sign MoU for developing semiconductor tech
In a landmark step toward strengthening global cooperation in semiconductor technology, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur and Singapore's Institute of Microelectronics (IME)—a core research entity under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)—have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The collaboration was formally announced during SEMICON Southeast Asia 2025, a prominent event in the semiconductor industry. The MoU outlines a comprehensive framework for collaborative research and human capital development in emerging semiconductor technologies. It brings together expertise in areas such as post-Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) and advanced transistor technologies, heterogeneous integration, chip packaging, AI-driven hardware accelerators, quantum devices, photonic systems, thermal management, and reliability diagnostics. Professor Anandaroop Bhattacharya from IIT Kharagpur's Department of MechaKonical Engineering described the partnership as a transformative step. 'This collaboration with A*STAR's IME significantly enhances our global engagement in semiconductor research. As India positions itself to become a major player in this field, such international alliances are crucial to building a resilient and competitive tech ecosystem,' he said. The partnership also includes plans for bilateral exchange programs, specialized training, and joint workshops. These initiatives aim to equip researchers, engineers, and students with the skills required to meet the evolving demands of the global semiconductor sector. Professor Yeo Yee Chia, Deputy Chief Executive for Innovation and Enterprise at A*STAR, emphasised the importance of collective effort. 'Singapore's progress in the semiconductor domain is deeply rooted in collaborative ventures across research, industry, and government. Through platforms like Innovate Together, we aim to co-create solutions to shared challenges and foster meaningful innovation,' he noted. Founded in 1951, IIT Kharagpur is one of India's leading institutions for science and technology and is widely recognized for its work in microelectronics and materials research. A*STAR, Singapore's leading public research agency, bridges cutting-edge science with real-world industrial applications.
Business Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
A*Star makes electronic design automation tools more accessible to companies
[Singapore] Local companies, especially start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), now have more cost-effective access to advanced Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. Such tools are specialised software suites used to design, simulate, analyse and verify semiconductor chips virtually – before they are fabricated. They ensure that the designed chips meet performance requirements and eliminate errors in the design process. The software suites are the result of a collaboration among the Institute of Microelectronics (IME), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), Enterprise Singapore and EDA companies Cadence, Keysight and Synopsys. EDA Garage, the name of the initiative, was unveiled on Wednesday (May 21). Under this programme, local companies can purchase flexible, pay-per-use tool licences, and the three EDA companies will be on hand to provide training and support in their use. CM Engineering Labs Singapore, which develops radio frequency and analogue integrated circuits (ICs) for wireless communication and sensing applications, is the first company to get on board EDA Garage. The company creates its own intellectual property (IP) and provides design services to its customers; it also works with its customers on feasibility studies, coming up with initial designs and developing complete ICs. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up As a small company that self-funds these projects, CM Engineering hopes that the tools in EDA Garage would enable it to develop innovative, competitive, high-speed mixed-signal IPs for emerging applications. Company director Annamalai Arasu Muthukumaraswamy said: 'It's exciting to be the first participant, and it gives us the opportunity to contribute to improving the programme. Perhaps we can help fine-tune it based on our experience. 'Our goal is to develop competitive chips using the EDA tools, and we hope to collaborate with different companies to develop complementary IC solutions.' EDA Garage was unveiled by A*Star at the inaugural 'Innovate Together', an event on the programme of the ongoing SEMICON Southeast Asia 2025, a conference for industry, academia and the public sector of the semiconductor industry. EDA Garage aside, A*Star's IME launched two other initiatives. One was the world's first industry-grade 200 mm silicon carbide open research and development (R&D) line for 200 mm silicon carbide wafers, which are used in electric vehicles, radio frequency devices and 5G communication systems. The initiative expedites R&D by bringing the development and pilot manufacturing of such wafers under one roof; before this, researchers and companies worked with multiple facilities, making the process fragmented, said A*Star in a separate statement. The third initiative extends A*Star's 200 mm R&D and manufacturing line, which focuses on piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical systems technology. This programme, which started out as a partnership between A*Star's IME, STMicroelectronics and ULVAC, will now be expanded to include the A*Star Institute of Materials Research and Engineering and the National University of Singapore. This technology can potentially be used in technology such as ultrasound imaging devices, miniature speakers and smartphone cameras. A*Star's chief executive Beh Kian Teik noted that Singapore currently contributes to around 10 per cent of the global semiconductor output, and 20 per cent of semiconductor equipment production. He added that the semiconductor industry now accounts for 6 per cent of Singapore's GDP, and provides some 35,000 high-value jobs. '(To stay ahead), A*Star and our academic institutions (will) work closely with multinational corporations, SMEs and startups to drive innovation, build the local ecosystem, and create high-quality jobs, (as) Singapore (makes) a concerted, coordinated and forward-looking push to anchor deep-tech innovation in semiconductors,' he added.
