Imec expands its presence in the USA

LEUVEN (Belgium) – December 8, 2023 – Imec – a world leader in semiconductor R&D – is joining forces with Purdue University for R&D on novel semiconductor materials, systems, and sustainable manufacturing and has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Michigan to jointly advance semiconductor technologies for the automotive industry. As part of the collaboration agreements, imec will set up a physical presence in both locations to support smooth collaboration and enriched knowledge sharing – to the benefit of all parties.

Collaboration and internationalization have been the driving forces behind the chip industry’s gigantic strides forward. Over the past 40 years, imec has bridged the gap between universities and industry to drive semiconductor technologies and deep-tech innovations. Complementing its activities within the NeoCity ecosystem in Florida, imec is taking the next steps in expanding its collaborations with academia in the United States to fuel the semiconductor innovation pipeline.

On the Purdue University campus, a joint R&D lab is inaugurated today in presence of the Flemish Minister President Jan Jambon and Purdue President Mung Chiang. Here, imec and Purdue researchers will work together to develop and demonstrate novel semiconductor technologies, laying the foundation for the next wave of high-performance compute devices.  This knowledge will also seed innovation to make semiconductor technologies and systems more sustainable.

In parallel, the University of Michigan and imec agreed in an MoU to perform joint research on semiconductor materials and system architectures that will primarily benefit the automotive industry. Michigan’s longstanding expertise in both automotive and microelectronics research, as well as its location in the heart of the US automotive ecosystem makes it an ideal partner in this collaborative effort.

“These collaboration agreements allow the states of Indiana and Michigan to tap into four decades of outstanding chip research,” explains Luc Van den hove, CEO of imec. “Moreover, establishing a physical presence in both locations will allow imec to intensify collaboration and boost R&D, resulting in new insights that can benefit the entire semiconductor value chain. These agreements underscore imec's unwavering commitment to invest in global collaboration to accelerate innovation in our industry and we are thankful for the support of Governors Holcomb and Whitmer for these initiatives.”

“Purdue University is excited to open this center with imec and IEDC on our campus after the ribbon-cutting ceremony today with Minister President Jambon. Built on the strength as a top-4 engineering college and patent-generating university in the U.S., Purdue is excited to be a leading university in semiconductors through Microelectronic Commons Hub, SCALE workforce consortium, US-Japan semiconductor alliance, and more. This partnership with imec will flourish as a strategically pivotal moment in the growing ecosystem of semiconductors in the heart of silicon heartland;" said Mung Chiang, Purdue President.

“The University of Michigan’s collaboration with imec brings the automotive and semiconductor industries together at an important time and place. To fulfill the most revolutionary promises of advanced mobility, we need to develop more reliable, energy-efficient, and powerful semiconductor solutions that are tailored for tomorrow’s transportation,” said Santa Ono, President of the University of Michigan. “We’re grateful to imec for catalyzing this effort and excited to lend our decades of research and educational expertise to moving it forward.”