Milpitas, CA, April 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEMI today announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate the ESD (Electronic System Design) Alliance as a SEMI Strategic Association Partner this year. Under the partnership, the Redwood City, Calif.-based association and its system design ecosystem membership will join SEMI, deepening ESD Alliance’s global reach in the electronics manufacturing supply chain and enabling SEMI members to connect and directly collaborate with the semiconductor design sector.

As a SEMI Strategic Association Partner, the ESD Alliance will continue to pursue its mission representing companies in the semiconductor design ecosystem by addressing technical, marketing, economic and legislative issues affecting the entire industry. The ESD Alliance will retain its own governance and lead its overall direction and initiatives while leveraging SEMI’s robust global resources. With the addition of the ESD Alliance, SEMI adds the product design segment to the electronics manufacturing supply chain, streamlining and connecting the full ecosystem.

“Design is the very foundation of semiconductor innovation and manufacturing, and the ESD Alliance complements SEMI’s existing membership in bringing smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products to more people every day,” said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI. “ESD Alliance members bring key insights to SEMI vertical application platforms such as Smart Transportation, Smart Manufacturing and Smart Data to enhance collaboration and innovation across the collective SEMI membership. We welcome ESD Alliance members to the SEMI family of Strategic Association Partners as we continue to broaden SEMI’s scope to include the full global electronics product design and manufacturing supply chain."

“The integration of the ESD Alliance with SEMI’s event and global platforms will enable us to extend our design expertise in the worldwide electronics industry,” said Bob Smith, executive director, the ESD Alliance. “ESD Alliance members will be better able to more efficiently engage with the electronics manufacturing supply chain on technical and business issues and gain access to comprehensive global resources and platforms.”

Those resources include SEMI’s technology communities and activities in areas such as advocacy, international standards and environment, health and safety (EH&S), industry statistics, trade and regulatory initiatives.

The integration is a key step in streamlining collaboration and connection of SEMI members with the electronic system design, IP and fabless communities. Among other benefits, the integration promises to tighten the industry coordination and collaboration necessary to developing specialized artificial intelligence (AI) chips for a host of smart applications.

“The semiconductor industry has grown and matured since the EDA Consortium was formed,” said Dr. Aart de Geus, chairman and co-Chief Executive Officer of Synopsys. “Many of the previously disparate areas within the industry now overlap and it’s obvious we need to address the supply chain from manufacturing all the way through design. The ESD Alliance represents the system design ecosystem and perfectly aligns with SEMI’s vision to support the entire supply chain. As an international organization with offices around the globe, SEMI gives the ESD Alliance an opportunity to further expand its reach and grow to its full potential.”

All ESD Alliance member companies, including global leaders ARM, Cadence, Mentor, a Siemens business, and Synopsys, will join SEMI’s global membership of more than 2,000 companies while retaining the ESD Alliance’s distinct self-governed community within SEMI.

About SEMISEMI® connects over 2,000 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Association Partners, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Since 1970, SEMI has built connections that have helped its members prosper, create new markets, and address common industry challenges together. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley (Milpitas, Calif.), Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.  For more information, visit  www.semi.org and follow SEMI on  LinkedIn and  Twitter.

About ESD AllianceThe Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), an international association of companies providing goods and services throughout the semiconductor design ecosystem, is a forum to address technical, marketing, economic and legislative issues affecting the entire industry. It acts as the central voice to communicate and promote the value of the semiconductor design industry as a vital component of the global electronics industry. For more information, visit www.esd-alliance.org.

Michael Hall
SEMI
(408) 943-7988
mhall@semi.org