The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) announced on Wednesday the launch of the Saudi Semiconductor Program - the first of its kind in the region – which is aimed at supporting research, development and qualification of human cadres in the field of designing and localizing electronic chips.
President of the City of Science and Technology Dr. Mounir El-Desouky inaugurated the Future of Semiconductors Forum - an event organized by KACST and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) - with the participation of Dr. Shuji Nakamura, Nobel Prize winner in physics and specialist in semiconductor technologies, and Dr. Omar Yaghi, winner of the King Faisal Prize in 2015 and the Albert Einstein International Prize for Science in 2017, and Dr. David Ruchien Liu, winner of the King Faisal Prize in Medicine for Gene Editing Technique.
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by the winners of the same prize in the field of science this year, Dr. Nader Masmoudi and Dr. Martin Heyer, as well as a number of local and international experts.
The program aims to conduct scientific research in electronic chip technologies, and qualify human cadres in the field of design and production to support the localization of the semiconductor industry in the Kingdom.
Addressing the forum, Saeed Alshihri, Director of Materials Science Research Institute at KACST, stressed that the localization of the electronic chip and semiconductor industry would contribute to achieving the goals of the Vision 2030 programs.
“Semiconductor technologies are changing the world as they form the basis of vital fields such as energy, sensors, and information technology, and the foundation of the third and fourth industrial revolutions,” he stated.
The forum will continue its work on Friday with three sessions discussing automotive and space electronics, photovoltaic efficiency, sensors and micro-electromechanical systems.
On Wednesday, agreements were signed between a number of government, private and international entities, to promote and localize the semiconductor industry in the Kingdom.
