Synopsys, Inc., a world leader in software and IP for semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing and KACST, the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, today signed an agreement to work together to promote a knowledge-based society in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The arrangement enables the two organizations to establish a Center of Excellence for Nanoelectronic Design at KACST in Riyadh, featuring a nanotechnology and nanoelectronics infrastructure, state-of-the-art computing environment, a Synopsys-based electronic design environment and nanoelectronics design flow, advanced training and experienced staff from Synopsys or trained by Synopsys.
Once established, the KACST Center of Excellence for Nanoelectronic Design would serve as a central point of contact for Saudi universities and research centers, facilitating access to Synopsys' advanced EDA (electronic design automation) software and curriculum and providing world-class industry seminars, workshops and conferences. The goal of the Center would be to maintain productive relationships with world-class electronics companies and develop partnerships across the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) that are patterned after other successful programs Synopsys has helped develop around the world.
The agreement between KACST and Synopsys creates a hub to provide advanced EDA software and curriculum to Saudi Arabia's universities. The planned focus would be on training highly qualified specialists for Saudi Arabia in the field of very large scale integration (VLSI) design through using EDA tools and solutions from Synopsys. The goal of this effort would be to educate Arabian students in integrated circuit design so they can help advance the state of Saudi Arabia's technology development and create a nanoelectronics-based ecosystem.
To encourage the development of a knowledge-based society in Saudi Arabia, Synopsys and KACST plan to establish and conduct an Annual Nanoelectronics Olympiad and create "Saudi Best Engineering Student Awards" that recognize and encourage talented youth. Such competitions would serve as a strong incentive for Saudi Arabia's youth to expand their knowledge.
"As a leader in our industry, Synopsys appreciates the opportunity to work with an organization like KACST, the R&D leader in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. More importantly, KACST is leading the way in developing a knowledge-based society in Saudi Arabia that will offer new opportunities for the youth of the Kingdom," said Rich Goldman, vice president of Corporate Marketing and Strategic Alliances at Synopsys. "Providing engineering students with technology-leading tools is the first step in developing a workforce that is ready to enter the world of fast-paced nanotechnology with the skills necessary to be quickly productive."