Purdue, GlobalFoundries partner on semiconductor R&D

November 27, 2022

Wednesday, November 23, 2022 11:50 AM EDTUpdated: Wednesday, November 23, 2022 12:52 PM EDT
By Alex Brown, Assistant Managing Editor
Purdue University president-elect Mung Chiang (left), and Thomas Caulfield, CEO of GlobalFoundries, celebrate the signing of the strategic partnership. (photo provided)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University continues to boost its presence in the semiconductor industry. The university on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership with New York-based semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries Inc. (Nasdaq: GFS) it says will strengthen and expand collaboration on semiconductor research and education. An agreement was signed during a virtual ceremony this week with Purdue President-elect Mung Chiang and GF CEO Thomas Caulfield. Purdue says the agreement outlines collaboration opportunities between the two parties on joint research and development projects as well as educational opportunities. GF subsidiary GF Labs, which oversees the company’s R&D efforts, will lead the partnership for GF. “We are excited to partner with GlobalFoundries to crystalize our offerings into programs relevant to the foundation of digital economy,” Chiang said in written remarks. “We are intensifying our efforts not only to scale up the talent pipeline, but also to create the depth of innovation expertise needed to advance U.S. leadership in semiconductors.” 2022 has been a big year for Purdue with regard to semiconductor education, research and manufacturing. In May, Purdue announced the creation of its semiconductor degrees program, which will include a suite of degrees and credentials for both undergraduate and graduate students in an effort to ramp up skilled talent for the semiconductor workforce. The following month, Taiwan-based MediaTek detailed plans to establish a chip design center at the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in Purdue’s Discovery Park District. The project is expected to create 30 jobs. In July, Minnesota-based SkyWater Technology (Nasdaq: SKYT) announced it would invest $1.8 billion to create a semiconductor R&D and production facility in West Lafayette and add 750 jobs over five years. Earlier this month, Purdue signed a formal letter of intent with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras to launch a dual-degree master’s program in semiconductors.