WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. \u2014 Purdue University continues to lead in the field of semiconductors by partnering with industry leaders to discuss strategies for improving workforce development and accelerating the pace of innovation during the inaugural SEMIEXPO Heartland conference today and Wednesday (April 1-2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Purdue President Mung Chiang joined government and industry representatives as one of the keynote speakers opening the two-day event. SEMIEXPO Heartland<\/a> is being held at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event is devoted to advancing the growing semiconductor industry in the Midwest, in line with Purdue\u2019s focus on groundbreaking research and workforce development. Sessions are scheduled on topics including smart manufacturing, smart mobility and workforce development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chiang thanked Woong-Sun Lee, CEO of SK hynix West, and Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Adams for the transformational establishment of SK hynix\u2019s AI memory chip facility at Purdue Research Park. \u201cOur mutual commitment and trusted partnership, announced last year and now proceeding rapidly as planned, will soon create jobs, workforce and innovation with a growing ecosystem including many partners in the audience,\u201d Chiang said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year\u2019s SK hynix partnership with Purdue to invest nearly $4 billion to construct an AI memory chip facility is a major part of the new smart crossroads of America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chiang delivered an address titled \u201cBlazing New Trails to the Endless Frontiers: Transformation of America\u2019s University Research,\u201d<\/a> which articulated a new architecture and culture of private capital for university research and concluded with \u201cParaphrasing Vannevar Bush in 1945: The frontiers are still endless, we might just have to blaze some new trails to continue the worthy pursuit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additional opening speakers included Indiana Gov. Mike Braun as part of a fireside chat and industry representatives from SK hynix, SEMI and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ganesh Subbarayan, director of Purdue\u2019s Atalla Institute for Advanced System Integration and Packaging, spoke today on the Smart Manufacturing stage. Purdue is one of a handful of universities with established educational and research programs in advanced packaging, which focuses on revolutionizing chip packaging by enabling complex functionality while reducing cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Workforce development will be the focus on the second day of the conference, with a presentation by Purdue\u2019s John Howarter, associate professor of materials engineering and environmental and ecological engineering. A panel discussion by members of Purdue\u2019s Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement K-12 program will include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior to the SEMI conference, Purdue and imec, the world\u2019s largest independent semiconductor R&D center and an Indiana partner, conducted a workshop on advanced semiconductor technologies and system scaling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Purdue\u2019s national leadership in microelectronics and semiconductors is a cornerstone of Purdue Computes<\/a> \u2014 a comprehensive initiative that spans computing departments, physical AI, quantum science and semiconductor innovation. The university\u2019s cutting-edge research, transformational investments in infrastructure and workforce development programs are setting a national benchmark for excellence and spearheading a growing semiconductor cluster in West Lafayette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to Purdue, SEMIEXPO Heartland was developed in partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the Applied Research Institute and Visit Indy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue\u2019s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap \u2014 including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative \u2014 at https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/president\/strategic-initiatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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