Masdar Institute's iMicro to Host Global and Local Industry Leaders Meet on 22 April

‘iMicro Open House’ to Mark First Anniversary of ACE4S Research Center and Showcase Projects in Photonics, MEMS and Photovoltaics

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 17 April, 2014 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced that its Institute Center for Microsystems (iMicro) will be gathering top delegates from the major global semiconductor industry leaders for an Open House in Abu Dhabi.

The event will showcase the world-class research currently being conducted at Masdar Institute’s iMicro in all areas of micro- and nano-technologies, including semiconductors, photonics, Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), and photovoltaics. iMicro focuses on advanced research and innovations in microsystem technologies that are vital to the UAE’s emerging semiconductor industry.

Scheduled to be held on 22 April 2014 at Masdar Institute, the Open House will coincide with the first anniversary of the ATIC-SRC Center of Excellence for Energy Efficient Electronic Systems (ACE4S) that was set up last year by the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) and the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). The event will be attended by Technical Advisory Board (TAB) delegates from GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Intel, Texas Instruments, IBM, Freescale, Applied Materials, and Mentor Graphics. In addition, high-ranking officials from Siemens, GE, Air Liquid, Tawazun, BP, Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, and NYU Abu Dhabi will also attend the event.

Dr. Rafic Makki, Executive Fellow for GLOBALFOUNDRIES, will give a keynote address on the innovative spirit the has driven the phenomenal grow of the semiconductor industry, while Ms. Canan Anli, Head of Technology Ecosystem, ATIC, will highlight the need for building an R&D ecosystem in Abu Dhabi. Dr. Ibrahim Elfadel, Head of iMicro, will offer an overview of the research center, while Dr. Bruce Ferguson, Head of the Institute Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (iInnovation), will speak about how Masdar Institute continues to remain an innovation hub. A tour of the ATIC Clean Room and Microscopy Suite will be led by Mike Tiner, Acting Director, Research Infrastructure and Laboratories, Masdar Institute. Several Masdar Institute faculty affiliated iMicro will give focused research presentations highlighting the multifaceted advanced work being conducted in nano and micro technologies at the Masdar Institute. In addition students working on iMicro research projects will present posters showcasing the important educational role iMicro is playing in the formation of high-skilled professionals for the emerging semiconductor ecosystem in the UAE.

Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said: “The Open House reflects our intense involvement in cutting-edge research projects taken up in collaboration with various global leaders with the support of the UAE leadership. We believe experts gathering for events such as the iMicro Open House will provide us with further encouragement and the right guidance to pioneer breakthrough innovations.”

Dr. Elfadel said: “This Open House is essential for us as it is not only gathering experts in semiconductor industry but also professionals from the oil & gas, manufacturing, healthcare, and utilities sectors as well. We hope this interaction will strengthen our ties with existing local and international stakeholders, while paving the way for more collaborations that will bring true benefits to the UAE and the region.”

iMicro was established earlier this year to provide strategic and operational direction to basic and applied microsystems research to achieve excellence and generate knowledge and technologies that will help establish the UAE as a global leader in microsystem devices and materials research, process technology, circuit and system design, and photonics.

ACE4S is hosted jointly by Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, and Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi. In addition, iMicro also works with other sponsored research centers such as the TwinLab 3-Dimensional Stacked Chips Research Center (TL-3DSC) jointly led by Masdar Institute and the Technical University of Dresden, and the MEMS TwinLab jointly led by Masdar Institute and the Institute of Microelectronics (IME) Singapore.