Latest news with #LucVandenhove
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Imec to launch automotive chip research centre in Germany
Imec, a research hub in nanoelectronics, in partnership with the State Government of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is set to launch a new chip research centre for the automotive sector. The new centre, Advanced Chip Design Accelerator (ACDA), was announced at the ongoing Hannover Trade Fair. The new centre will focus on the development of automotive chiplet technology. It is backed by a financial boost of €40m ($43.28m) from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg. To be located in Baden-Württemberg in Southwest of Germany, the centre will support the development 'state-of-the-art' chiplet, packaging, system integration, sensing, and (edge) AI technology. These developments are part of Imec's Automotive Chiplet Program (ACP), aimed at enhancing support for the automotive industry by derisking and expediting the manufacturing of automotive chiplets. Imec president and CEO Luc Van den hove said: 'To realise the region's ambitions, we will also focus on growing the talent pipeline across Europe by training engineers in close collaboration with the local ecosystem, including universities. 'In addition, we aim to expand the developed high-performance computing solutions to the European level, thus contributing to the acceleration of innovation in the European automotive industry with unique and distinctive building blocks.' The new centre will operate for at least five years at the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence in Heilbronn. The centre aims to address the automotive industry's shift towards chiplet-based architectures, which are said to be more adaptable and energy-efficient than traditional chip technologies and are crucial for advanced automotive functions such as autonomous driving. This initiative supports the European Commission's strategic goal of launching the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance. Additionally, the State of Baden-Württemberg is investing a further €5m to bolster the chip-ecosystem. State of Baden-Württemberg, Germany Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Dr Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut said: 'High-performance chips are playing an important role for software-driven applications in core industries in Baden-Württemberg and are increasingly shaping mobility, artificial intelligence and digitalisation. 'With the establishment of Imec in Baden-Württemberg, we are creating an internationally visible centre of excellence that will significantly accelerate business-oriented research and development of chip-based innovations, particularly in the automotive industry, together with start-ups, industry and research in the region and beyond.' "Imec to launch automotive chip research centre in Germany" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
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![[Herald Interview] Beyond memory: Korea's next big semiconductor challenge](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
05-02-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
[Herald Interview] Beyond memory: Korea's next big semiconductor challenge
Global collaboration, not nationalism, key to chip innovation: Imec CEO South Korea has achieved remarkable growth over the past decades to become a global leader in the semiconductor industry, with its key players dominating the memory chip market. However, as memory and logic chips become increasingly integrated, the country must enhance its capabilities in both sectors to maintain its competitive edge and tackle future challenges, said Luc Van den hove, CEO of imec, the world's largest independent research center for nanoelectronics and digital technology. 'Korea has had a phenomenal trajectory in the chip industry, and we all know that its position in memory is extremely strong," Van den hove said in a video interview with The Korea Herald on Jan. 30. As demand for high-performance computing grows, the interconnection between logic and memory is becoming more crucial. Korea, home to the world's top memory chip makers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, is well-positioned to address some of the industry's biggest challenges, such as the limitations of physical scaling, he said. "The interface between logic and memory is very important for future computer systems, and this is certainly one of the opportunities for Korean companies." Artificial intelligence is driving unprecedented demand for cutting-edge chips that offer high complexity while operating at low power. However, concerns are rising over technological barriers to further shrinking chips, which are already at nanometer scales, leading to renewed debates over the validity of Moore's Law -- the principle that transistor density doubles every two years. Van den hove believes Moore's Law will remain valid for at least another one or two decades, with enhanced equipment and advanced packaging methods -- such as chip stacking -- compensating for the slowdown in physical scaling. "The combination of geometry-based scaling, lithography-based scaling and the introduction of new materials and devices will allow us to integrate advanced chips in new ways," he said. To boost performance, chipmakers are adopting heterogeneous integration techniques, such as stacking chips vertically, which enhances computing power without requiring further miniaturization. This high-bandwidth connection enables larger computing units while maintaining efficiency. At the same time, the imec CEO emphasized the importance of global collaboration, warning that the growing trend of governments prioritizing domestic semiconductor industries could stifle innovation and lead to mediocrity. "The complexity of technology and the need for innovation are so great that it is impossible for any single region to do everything alone. To make the progress we need, we must combine the best of the best across the world." While he supports government incentives and aid programs, he stressed that such efforts should be designed to enhance collaboration rather than promote nationalism. Van den hove also noted that while China faces limitations due to US export restrictions, "scarcity can stimulate innovation." "It is clear that China has made semiconductor development a high priority, and there is a lot of innovation happening there. It is important to recognize China's strengths," he said. Marking the return of its technology forum, ITF, to Seoul on Feb. 18, Van den hove highlighted imec's long-standing partnerships with Korea's semiconductor giants, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, while also expressing a strong interest in expanding imec's network in the country. 'We certainly want to further strengthen the partnerships we have in Korea. We have very strong relationships with companies like Samsung and SK hynix. We know them very well and have worked with them for more than 20 years," Van den hove said. "We also want to engage with the broader Korean semiconductor ecosystem, which is less familiar to us." Having served as imec's CEO since 2009, Van den hove has built strong relationships with top executives of Korea's leading chipmakers, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. During his visit to Korea next month, he is expected to meet with key executives. During the event, imec will also sign a partnership agreement with the National NanoFab Center, Korea's leading public semiconductor technology service provider.
