Georgia Tech and GlobalFoundries to Collaborate on Joint Semiconductor Research and Workforce Development

Group of faculty leaders in front of Tech Tower

Georgia Institute of Technology, one of the top public research universities in the U.S., and GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) (GF), one of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers, today announced a new partnership to expand collaboration on semiconductor research, education, talent, and workforce development.

By jointly creating and implementing new educational, engagement, and research opportunities for students and faculty, Georgia Tech and GF are advancing semiconductor innovation, while helping prepare and train a new generation of talented young people for careers in the semiconductor industry. The new partnership includes collaborating on proposals for support from the U.S. government through the CHIPS and Science Act funding.

“Semiconductor research is a top priority for Georgia Tech and the nation, as we develop innovative solutions that improve manufacturing and support our national and state economies,” said Chaouki Abdallah, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. “Deepening our partnership with GlobalFoundries allows us to leverage our complementary technology and talent resources to benefit this vital industry, and to improve the human condition.”

"At GF, we recognize the tremendous potential of semiconductors to drive innovation, and ultimately enable the inventions and technologies that create meaningful societal change,” said Gregg Bartlett, chief technology officer of GF. “By partnering with top-tier universities like Georgia Tech on research and development, we can tap into a deep pool of academic talent and technical expertise and bring new ideas and insights to the forefront of our work. Through this collaboration, we aim to push the boundaries of what is possible in feature-rich semiconductor technology, as well as inspire students to pursue a career in the exciting field of chip design and manufacturing."

The strategic agreement outlines a framework of collaboration between GF and Georgia Tech to expand research and development opportunities on GF semiconductor technology, curriculum development, training programs, internships, and joint faculty/engineering exchanges. Additionally, the agreement calls for Georgia Tech and GF to partner on outreach to inspire interest in semiconductors and highlight career opportunities in microelectronics. GF and Georgia Tech will also explore programs to enhance diversity and inclusion within the semiconductor workforce.

For GF, the partnership with Georgia Tech will be overseen by GF Labs, which leads the company's research and development efforts to advance GF's differentiated technology portfolio in partnership with leading academic, government, and industry collaborators.

About Georgia Tech

The Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences degrees. Its more than 46,000 students, representing 50 states and more than 150 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.

About GF

GlobalFoundries (GF) is one of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers. GF is redefining innovation and semiconductor manufacturing by developing and delivering feature-rich process technology solutions that provide leadership performance in pervasive high growth markets. GF offers a unique mix of design, development and fabrication services. With a talented and diverse workforce and an at-scale manufacturing footprint spanning the U.S., Europe and Asia, GF is a trusted technology source to its worldwide customers. For more information, visit www.gf.com.

©GlobalFoundries Inc., GF, GlobalFoundries, the GF logos and other GF marks are trademarks of GlobalFoundries Inc. Or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-looking Information

This news release may contain forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. GF undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect actual outcomes, unless require by law. 

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Idling at a crossroads no longer, the automotive industry is embracing electrification like never before. With more electric vehicles purchased in 2022 than any year prior, consumers are beginning to follow their lead. Yet, while opportunity abounds, new challenges will require an innovative approach to ensure a sustainable and accessible electric future for all.

With historic investments from major players in the EV space, including Rivian, Kia, and Hyundai, the state of Georgia is uniquely positioned to serve as a leader in this effort. As the state's leading research institute, Georgia Tech is on the cutting edge of the movement. 

The transportation sector is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the U.S. at nearly 30%, with passenger vehicles accounting for around 80% of the sector's total output1 as of 2019. Electric vehicles are widely regarded as a budding solution to reduce emissions, but even as both demand and production continue to increase, EVs currently account for around 1% of the cars on America's roadways. 

From the supply chain to the infrastructure needed to support alternative-fuel vehicles alongside consumer hesitancy, achieving the goals set by both the public and private sectors — including the Biden Administration's target of EVs making up at least 50% of new car sales by 2030 — will not be easy. Through research and development, policy, and collaboration, Tech experts are working toward finding solutions that will serve as catalysts during this transitionary period for the environment and the way Americans drive.

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Science and Engineering Day Buzzes with Excitement

A young participant that is experiencing virtual reality for the first time at Georgia Tech

A young participant that is experiencing virtual reality for the first time at Georgia Tech

More than 1,500 parents and children across the Atlanta metropolitan area attended a jam-packed second annual Georgia Tech Science and Engineering Day held on Saturday, March 11 in conjunction with the tenth annual 2023 Atlanta Science Festival. Located across five campus buildings, more than 40 demonstrations, hands-on STEAM activities, tours, and learning opportunities designed to engage and educate participants were offered by students, staff, and faculty volunteers.

Some of this year’s demonstration topics included battery fuel cells, nanotechnology, DNA, immunoengineering, chemistry, engineering, superconductivity levitation, wastewater treatment, aerospace, space outreach, virtual reality, biology, robotics, computing, 3D printing, paper making, and much more.

A parent attending from Peachtree City said, “we’ve discovered our son has an affinity for math and science. He’s handling tenth grade science level coursework, yet he’s only in the seventh grade and can understand math formulas ahead of his age group. We brought him here to expose him to a variety of technologies and advanced equipment that he won’t see or be exposed to in his middle school. The staff and professors here have been very kind to show him how to use some of the equipment we’ve seen. And his eyes have gotten bigger all day because of these interactions.”

Virginia Howell, director of the Roberts C. Williams Museum of Paper Making in the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Tech said, “the paper museum is delighted to be part of the Georgia Tech Science and Engineering Day. It's a great opportunity for people to learn more about the paper museum and get hands-on experience in making a sheet of paper to take home. We offer workshops, classes, and tours to students across the state of Georgia. Kids have been lined up all day to participate at our tables today.”

Demonstrations included how to extract DNA, seeing LIDAR in action, experiencing heat sensing sensors, how x-rays are used, viewing scanning electron microscopes, playing a virtual reality game, experiencing chemical reactions, watching 3D printing, making slime, showing atom-level nano materials in synthesized materials, neuroscience demos, liquid nitrogen experiments, and many more.

Presentation areas were hosted by the Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines, and the Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences who provided valuable space in their buildings to house demonstrations. The Ford Environmental Science & Technology Building and Molecular Science & Engineering Building also donated space for demonstrations.

Another tour offering during Science and Engineering Day was the Flowers Invention Studio at Georgia Tech which offers more than 5,000 square feet of industrial makerspace equipment.

“We are the largest student-run maker space in the nation,” said Lillian Tso, president of the Invention Studio and a fourth-year mechanical engineering student. “We house industrial grade equipment for prototyping and manufacturing—we support anything that students want to build. We're open for all students of all majors of all years. They can use our equipment for free which includes CNC machines, more than 50 3D printers, waterjets, laser cutters, and many other professional-level tools. This is our first year participating in the Georgia Tech Science and Engineering Day. We wanted to do a lot more outreach to the Georgia Tech campus and the greater Atlanta community."

Lucas Garza, president-elect of the Invention Studio, added, “we’ve had a busy day offering tours of our studio throughout the festival.”

Located in the mezzanine of the Marcus Nanotechnology Building, Ethan Sirak, a fourth-year aerospace student with the Georgia Space Grant Consortium, was providing kids with exposure to space facts and allowing them to perform crafts related to planets and space. The consortium is an organization under NASA which aims to promote STEM exposure to kids of all ages. He also assists with the Aerospace Engineering Outreach Program. He was partnered at his hands-on learning table with Bill McNutt Jr., a senior aerospace engineering student.

A young participant from Suwanee, Georgia, said, “I want to go to school at Georgia Tech because of aerospace engineering. I want to go on good adventures in future space flight and design things.”

His mom, a sixth-grade science teacher added, “I love coming to science fairs to get new ideas for my students and I love to bring my family because we just have a great time. This is our very first science fair here at Georgia Tech. We've been to ones in north Georgia because that's pretty close to where we live. But when we saw this was available, we're like, yeah, we're coming down to Tech for this today—and having a great time.”

While attendees were able to get a peek into one of the nation’s most research-intensive universities, the event also allowed the many researchers and students participating the opportunity to share their science and engineering work with the public.

One of the more unique tables was manned by Alison Reynolds, an instruction archivist with research services in the Georgia Tech library. She was displaying a selection of unique items from Georgia Tech’s science fiction archives and special collections. She said, “we’ve been teaching with science fiction since 1971 and our collection is now one of the largest science fiction collections in the United States. We wanted to display part of our special collection.”

“I had several Georgia school systems reach out to me that were interested in attending this event,“ said Leslie O 'Neill, education outreach manager with the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor (SENIC) at Georgia Tech. “Georgia Tech plays a vital part in its community. We wanted to showcase the campus; the student, faculty and staff research; and the amazing science and engineering being done. We’ve had a fantastic turnout this year for this event.”

Video of the Event:
Atlanta Science Festival at Georgia Tech 2023

Yong Ding, principal research engineer, teaching a young student about microscopy.

Yong Ding, principal research engineer, teaching a young student about microscopy.

Invention Studio tour in progress.

Flowers Invention Studio tour in progress. The water jet machine is shown on the upper-right side.

Papermaking in action.

Anna Doll, education curator at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, guiding visitors as they make paper.

Aerospace students Ethan Sirak and Bill McNutt Jr. with the Georgia Space Grant Consortium teaching kids space facts and allowing them to perform crafts related to planets and space.

Aerospace students Ethan Sirak and Bill McNutt Jr. with the Georgia Space Grant Consortium teaching kids space facts and allowing them to perform crafts related to planets and space.

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NNCI Education Webinar: The SEMI Foundation - Building a Bridge Between Industry and Academia

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