IEEE is the world's largest technical professional association and the RSE is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. The award will be presented on June 25, 2009 at the IEEE Honors Ceremony in Los Angeles, Calif. Dr. Sangiovanni-Vincentelli will also be honored by His Majesty, the Duke of Edinburgh on Aug. 11, 2009 in a separate ceremony at the Royal Scottish Academy in Scotland.
Electronic design automation software is used to design complex integrated circuits and verify and test their functionality, which are essential to the creation of today's electronic devices. Dr. Sangiovanni-Vincentelli is a driving force behind EDA, having made groundbreaking scientific contributions and co-founded the two largest EDA companies in the field -- Cadence and Synopsys. EDA has become a key enabler of the electronics industry and provides the technology needed to address the ever-growing complexity of chips as predicted by Moore's Law, while at the same time reducing the risk of failure. Using EDA technology, integrated circuit design has gone from incorporating a few hundred transistors in the 1970s to present-day ultra large-scale integrated circuits that can contain billions of transistors.
"Alberto is a true Renaissance man, and we salute his achievements and his vision. As a scientist, engineer, entrepreneur and inspiring teacher, he has been instrumental in bringing the EDA industry to life," said Lip-Bu Tan, president and CEO of Cadence. "This award marks another impressive milestone in his multi-faceted career, and we look forward to many more inventive contributions from Alberto in the years to come."
Sangiovanni-Vincentelli currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cadence, where he is chair of the Technology Committee, as well as on the boards of other companies he has helped found. Leading IC and system companies around the world frequently seek his counsel.
An IEEE Fellow and member of the National Academy of Engineering, Sangiovanni-Vincentelli's honors include the 2001 Phil Kaufman Award (the most prestigious award in the EDA field), the VIP Award of the Italian National Research Council (1996-1999) and the 1994 Inventor Recognition Award from the Semiconductor Research Corporation. University of California at Berkeley has also honored him with the Distinguished Teacher Award and the IEEE Graduate Teaching Award for inspirational teaching. He received his doctorate in engineering from the Politecnico di Milano, Italy in 1971. Sangiovanni-Vincentelli is currently the Edgar L. and Harold H. Buttner Chair of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
To view video: Industry Visionary
Notable Industry Quotes:
"Alberto, congratulations on a richly deserved honor that recognizes your sustained and still ongoing contributions to design enablement and related fields. Your work has accelerated the development of the fabless industry as it exists today, without which we'd live in a very different and far less compelling world."
"I could not be more pleased that our friend and colleague, Dr. Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli, has received this magnificent recognition. Alberto is one of the seminal founders of the entire EDA field. He brings to the Cadence board strategic vision, technical expertise, and his enormous intelligence. Working with him is a joy. Congratulations, Alberto!
Pat Gelsinger, Sr. VP and GM Digital Enterprise Group Intel Corporation
"Alberto has been a partner with Intel and to me personally a comrade and friend. He's been a foundational figure in the CAD industry being associated with many of the key products and technologies thousands of engineers use on a daily basis. Simply put, in CAD no one stands taller than Alberto."
Robert J. Birgeneau, Chancellor, UC Berkeley
"The Berkeley faculty takes great pride in creating not just individual companies but, in exemplary cases, entire industry sectors. In this vein, we are particularly proud of the efforts of Prof. Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli who, with his colleagues, created the Electronic Design Automation industry."
Aart De Geus, Chairman and CEO, Synopsys
"Congratulations, Alberto, on your recent IEEE Award! For the 30 years or so that I have known you, high energy, a desire to make an impact, and rigor in your thinking have been traits that I have always admired. It is thus not a surprise that your "fingerprints" are all over the history of our industry and in many ways the formality of recognition is long overdue! Enjoy the moment!"
"Alberto's contributions to EDA technology have been monumental, a major force in shaping the industry."
Roger Siboni, Independent Investor and Member Board of Directors, Cadence
"It has been an honor and privilege to work with Dr. Sangiovanni-Vincentelli for the past decade at Cadence Design Systems. How befitting that our industry would bestow upon him one of its highest honors and prestigious awards, the Wolfson James Clerk Maxwell Award. Congratulations Alberto!"
Alain J-P. Labat, President and CEO, VaST Systems
"I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Alberto since 1991 as he has championed his clear vision of the industry forward. He has never wavered in his passion and pursuit of next-generation electrical engineering productivity and know-how. His wide span of international contributions within both the University and leading engineering organizations world, signify his successful pursuit of creative solutions and the proliferation of knowledge. His awareness of customer needs and opportunity and his wise strategic counsel have been incredibly valuable to me. It is wonderful that he is receiving such prestigious recognition and I am very happy to congratulate him as he receives this award."
Bob Gardner, Executive Director, EDAC
"Alberto received the EDA Consortium prestigious Phil Kaufman Award in 2001 for his contributions to circuit simulation, computer-aided design of integrated circuits, logic synthesis, and system design. Beyond his own contributions leading to this award, Alberto's impact on the industry is amplified by his leadership, mentoring, and collaboration with many other major contributors in electronic design technology. Alberto has also participated as a key speaker and panel leader in many EDAC events, including introducing many of the Phil Kaufman Award recipients over the years. Alberto is well deserving of the IEEE/RSE Wolfson James Clerk Maxwell Award and we congratulate him on this honor."
Raymond Bingham, Managing Director, General Atlantic
Making a difference is an often overused phrase. In Alberto's case, the difference he has made in the electronics industry has launched millions of chips and created tremendous value for countless companies. It is a pleasure to know and work with Alberto as both a colleague and a friend. His enthusiasm and discoveries are foundational to the field of electronic design automation and have led a sea change in the way the semiconductor and electronics industry designs chips and systems. This award honoring his contributions is richly deserved and I am pleased to be able to add my kudos for his many achievements in the field of EDA.
About Cadence
Cadence enables global electronic design innovation and plays an essential role in the creation of today's integrated circuits and electronics. Customers use Cadence software and hardware, methodologies, and services to design and verify advanced semiconductors, consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications equipment, and computer systems. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world to serve the global electronics industry. More information about the company, its products, and services is available at www.cadence.com.
Cadence and the Cadence logo are registered trademarks of Cadence Design
Systems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
