Semiconductor Research Corporation Awards Seven Contracts for Industry-Guided Research to Universities Based in Abu Dhabi

AUSTIN, Texas & ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), the world's leading university-research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies, today announced seven research contracts to be awarded to four universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The announcement marks the beginning of the second year of a joint effort among SRC and the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) in the UAE with a focus on semiconductor sciences and technologies.

“These UAE universities demonstrate substantial capability in the semiconductor areas of interest, and we are helping to facilitate a mutually beneficial network among them and the global chip industry”

SRC presented the announcement during its annual TECHCON technology conference in Austin, Texas, that runs this year Sept. 12-13 and features next-generation research progress among hundreds of university students, faculty and industry experts.

Selected from more than 50 proposals from the UAE universities, the seven contracts will be funded with an initial $750,000 for one year and extend for at least two more years. The results are expected to drive a wide number of research initiatives aimed at breakthroughs in minimum-energy electronic systems (MEES).

The work will be guided by SRC’s members from the worldwide semiconductor business at the following universities in Abu Dhabi: American University of Sharjah, Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates University and the Masdar Institute. The UAE universities will conduct the research in collaboration with the following United States universities and organizations: UC Berkeley, Ohio State, Cornell, Purdue, the Brookhaven National Laboratory and MOSIS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Implementation Service).

“These UAE universities demonstrate substantial capability in the semiconductor areas of interest, and we are helping to facilitate a mutually beneficial network among them and the global chip industry,” said SRC President Larry Sumney. “The SRC member companies are enthusiastic to further engage the talent and technical potential of the Abu Dhabi research programs, as we collectively tackle the growing challenges of power consumption in electronics.”

“This announcement marks a further exciting evolution in the partnership between ATIC and the SRC,” said Sami Issa, Executive Director of Abu Dhabi Ecosystem, ATIC. “ATIC is committed to supporting the birth of industry-guided semiconductor research in the UAE. Over the last 18 months universities in the UAE have hired more than 15 semiconductor-focused professors. This clearly exemplifies that ATIC’s strategy of funding relevant research is beginning to bear fruit.”

Since the launch of joint efforts between SRC and ATIC in 2010, highlights of the collaboration have included workshops and studies that are exploring how to create MEES dedicated to reducing power consumption across a wide range of increasingly important electronic devices. The team also recently brought together more than 40 of the world’s top experts in solar technologies for a forum on photovoltaics (PV), designed to explore the route for development of cost-effective systems capable of achieving 25 percent energy conversion from solar resources in Abu Dhabi by the year 2020.

About SRC

Celebrating 29 years of collaborative research for the semiconductor industry, SRC defines industry needs, invests in and manages the research that gives its members a competitive advantage in the dynamic global marketplace. Awarded the National Medal of Technology, America’s highest recognition for contributions to technology, SRC expands the industry knowledge base and attracts premier students to help innovate and transfer semiconductor technology to the commercial industry. For more information, visit www.src.org.

About ATIC

The Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) was created in 2008. A technology investment company wholly owned by Mubadala, ATIC is focused on making significant investments in the advanced technology sector, both locally and internationally. Its mandate is to generate returns that deliver long-term benefits to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

ATIC seeks to leverage the unique advantages it enjoys as an investor from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to identify and realize long-term investment opportunities in the highly competitive and capital-intensive advanced technology sector. These advantages include significant and reliable capital, a patient investment philosophy, and a subsequently long-term investment horizon. For more information about ATIC visit www.atic.ae.

About TECHCON

TECHCON brings together the brightest minds in microelectronics research to exchange news about the progress of new materials and processes created by SRC’s network of more than 100 of the top engineering universities. Students and industry leaders discuss basic research that is intended to accelerate advancements for both private and public entities, helping enable future generations of chip technology.