Purdue deepens semiconductor, chips processing ties with Dassault Systèmes in virtual twin initiative

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Dassault Systèmes to establish a new lab to develop virtual twin technologies for semiconductor processing and testing at Purdue’s Birck Nanotechnology Center. The MOU marks a significant step toward developing the first virtual twin-enabled semiconductor research and education platform.

The collaboration is built upon a 2024 agreement between Purdue and Dassault Systèmes. Under the new MOU, the partners are collaborating on multiple projects and jointly developing sophisticated manufacturing process models and immersive extended reality experiences.

The Semiconductor Virtual Twin Innovation Lab aims to advance virtual-first, generative technology innovation and train the next-generation semiconductor workforce. The initiative will combine immersive education, virtual process simulation and AI-guided experimentation to accelerate discovery and shorten the lab-to-fab transition.

Under the MOU, Purdue and Dassault Systèmes will collaborate on developing virtual twins across multiple scales and multiphysics simulations, spanning materials and reactor models through die, wafer, package, equipment and cleanroom twins.

The initiative underscores how public-private collaboration can accelerate innovation and bring advanced technologies directly into the hands of students to unlock their creative potential.

“This partnership brings together two leaders in semiconductor innovation and digital transformation,” said Zhihong Chen, Purdue’s Mary Jo and Robert L. Kirk Director of the Birck Nanotechnology Center and the Reilly Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “By combining Birck’s advanced semiconductor facilities with Dassault Systèmes’ powerful 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we are building a truly AI- and virtual twin-enabled research and learning environmentthat will transform how we educate, innovate and collaborate.”

Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a cloud-based platform that brings together design, engineering, simulation and collaboration applications into one virtual environment.

The two organizations will engage in joint research semiconductor projects and workforce development in key areas, including new materials exploration and selection, wafer fabrication, advanced packaging, and cleanroom sustainable operations.

“Our partnership with Dassault Systèmes is pivotal to the future of the semiconductor industry,” said Luna Lu, vice president of the Office of Industry Partnerships and the Indiana ACPA Professor in Concrete Paving and Materials Science. “It creates a first-of-its-kind training environment, seamlessly moving our students from the classroom to the cleanroom to dramatically accelerate education and research.”

The move expands Purdue’s growing network of global partnerships to advance semiconductor research and development while enriching student learning and advancing workforce development.

“Dassault Systèmes is committed to empowering innovation across the semiconductor ecosystem,” said Bill DeVries, the company’s vice president of North America brands and workforce of the future. “Our collaboration with Purdue University demonstrates how virtual twins can bridge physical and digital worlds to accelerate R&D and inspire the next generation of semiconductor talent.”

Purdue’s growing semiconductor innovation ecosystem is one of four key pillars of Purdue Computes, a comprehensive initiative that also aims to position the Department of Computer Science as a top 10 national program, become a leader in the field of physical artificial intelligence, and advance quantum science and engineering to create future technologies that enable unparalleled excellence at scale.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.