In quest of advances in semiconductor technology, Belgium-based imec has teamed with Purdue University to establish a research hub at the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration on Purdue’s West Lafayette, Ind. campus. Opening of the new semiconductor research facility was recently celebrated by imec President/CEO Luc Van den hove, Purdue President Mung Chiang, and Flemish Minister/President Jan Jambon (see image above) after visiting with Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC) in Indianapolis, Ind.
Purdue’s Chiang explained, “Purdue University is excited to open the joint center with imec and IEDC on our campus after the ribbon-cutting ceremony today with Minister-President Jambon and CEO Van den hove.”
He added, “Purdue is established as a leading university in semiconductors through successes such as the Department of Defense Microelectronic Commons Hub, SCALE workforce consortium, U.S.-Japan semiconductor alliance, U.S.-India semiconductor partnership, and more. This partnership with imec, the crown jewel of chips innovation in Europe, will flourish as a strategically pivotal moment in the growing ecosystem of semiconductors in the heart of the Silicon Heartland. It also builds a bridge between our university and universities and companies in Flanders, in Belgium, and in Europe.”
The West Lafayette facility is imec’s first research office in the midwestern United States, adding to earlier established facilities in California and Florida. Of the partnership, Mark Lundstrom, Purdue’s chief semiconductor officer and senior advisor to the president, said, “Working together, we can leverage each other’s capabilities and enhance the quality and pace of innovation to improve technological outcomes more than we could independently.
“The collaboration aims to capitalize on imec’s extensive global expertise and Purdue’s academic prowess to further propel Indiana into a prominent position within the semiconductor innovation ecosystem.”