UAE : Traditions are changing. We are going from sand to silicon Part 2.

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NEXT GENERATION OF EMIRATI ENGINEERS SHOWCASE TALENTS AT At NOKHBA GRADUATION CEREMONY IN GERMANY

60 elite Emirati students successfully complete internship at GLOBALFOUNDRIES in Dresden, Germany

Abu Dhabi, 8 August 2010: The Al Nokhba internship at GLOBALFOUNDRIES has drawn to a close in Dresden, Germany with a graduation ceremony to mark the achievements of the 60 interns who participated in the program. During the ceremony interns were praised for their continued dedication and achievement and presented their project work to assembled dignitaries, student mentors and peers. The collaborative Al Nokhba internship developed in partnership between Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), The Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) and GLOBALFOUNDRIES, aims to give the next generation of Emirati engineers hands-on work experience in the field of microelectronics.

Over the course of the last seven weeks, the 30 men and 30 women, all Emirati science and engineering undergraduates, have worked alongside some of the world’s leading advanced technology experts at the GLOBALFOUNDRIES FAB in Dresden, overseeing the manufacture of the 300mm wafer semiconductors that form the basis of modern electronic and electrical equipment. Students have participated in a full program of lectures and seminars, alongside handson experience in the clean rooms and labs, culminating in the final projects presented at the graduation ceremony.

Director General of ADEC H.E. Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili said: “We are proud of our students for their dedication to this program, and thank our partners for investing their time and resources to support the academic and career development of young nationals. Partnering with industries to promote hands-on learning and practical experience is an essential component of Abu Dhabi’s Higher Education Strategy to develop our students’ skill set and knowledge so they can compete in a global workforce, and contribute to the creation of an innovation-based, knowledgeproducing society in Abu Dhabi. We look forward to continue to working with ATIC and GLOBALFOUNDRIES to cultivate a passion for technological development and innovation in our students.”

Ibrahim Ajami, CEO of ATIC said: “Collaborative opportunities such as the Al Nokhba Internship at GLOBALFOUNDRIES are at the very heart of ATIC’s work in the area of human capital development. We are committed to providing new opportunities aimed at inspiring and engaging the next generation of Emirati talent that will drive the development of Abu Dhabi as a hub for leading-edge semiconductor and the advanced technology sector and in so doing fuel the delivery of the future vision of Abu Dhabi. The successful graduation of the interns today is testament to their continued hard work, commitment and development as the engineering minds of the future.”

"I'm very pleased with the tremendous experience, the 60 students had in the second Abu Dhabi summer internship program in Dresden," said Doug Grose, CEO, GLOBALOUNDRIES. "This internship is part of a comprehensive program which will help to develop top talent in support a future semiconductor eco-system in Abu Dhabi. Through providing access to GLOBALFOUNDRIES FAB 1, Europe's most advanced wafer FAB, combined with the educational and industry resources of Silicon Saxony, we have provided participants with a thorough overview of what it means to participate and compete in our global industry."

Present at the graduation ceremony event were representatives from both the United Arab Emirates and Germany, including Dr. Johannes Beermann, Chief of the State Chancellery and Minister of State for Federal Affairs, Saxony and Ms Nabila Al Shamsi, Second Secretary at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, Germany. Also in attendance were Ms Susanne Jokisch, representing the Cultural Affairs office of the German Embassy to the United Arab Emirates and HE Mohammad Salam Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of School Operations Sector at ADEC, Mrs. Mona Majed Al Mansouri, Division Manager of Guidance and Scholarship at ADEC, Professors Melhorn, Bartha and Kucher, senior faculty members from the Technical University of Dresden, Germany alongside representatives from the local R&D community.

The Al Nokhba internship builds on ATIC’s central aim of promoting Abu Dhabi’s strategic development of, and investment in, advanced technologies and semiconductors by supporting the development of human capital that will drive the future of the industry and provide UAE nationals with world-class learning opportunities. Collaboration between ATIC and GLOBALFOUNDRIES alongside the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), is aligned with the commitment of the Higher Education Strategy to support the development of a workforce equipped with the skills and knowledge for success. In its next round, the Al Nokhba internship will be expanded to offer interns the opportunity to work at the GLOBALFOUNDRIES FAB in Singapore.

Globalfoundries

 

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Abu Dhabi students on course for world’s elite

David George-Cosh

- Last Updated: July 20. 2010 8:46PM UAE / July 20. 2010 4:46PM GMT

DRESDEN : When Mohammed al Merri found out he had been accepted to study at Globalfoundries, he was proud to become part of “The Elite”. The recent electrical engineering graduate from Abu Dhabi’s Higher College of Technology had long dreamt of pursuing a career in technology. Now, with Abu Dhabi investing heavily in the semiconductor industry, the young Emirati has earned the opportunity of a lifetime – to become part of “Al Nokhba”, which is Arabic for “The Elite”.

The programme, run at the Globalfoundries campus in Dresden, gives the students a crash course in the elemental physics behind semiconductors and the theory of designing microchips plus the chance to follow assigned mentors to perform tasks in the foundry’s clean room. “For me, I’m studying something that is very futuristic,” said Mr al Merri. “It’s a very amazing experience.” He is one of 60 students – half of whom are women – invited by Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) and Globalfoundries to take part in an intensive seven-week internship designed to introduce them to the world of semiconductors and hopefully foster the people who will take the reins in running Abu Dhabi’s foundry.

“When I told my professors that I was going to work at a foundry, they said that this is an opportunity that engineering students don’t often get,” said Ammar al Marzouqi, a third-year computer engineering student from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We’re getting to look at what’s actually being produced now and what the research and development teams are trying to work on for the future.”

It also opens the door for young Arab females to become trained as semiconductor engineers, a field that generally does not attract a lot of women. “It’s great that females from the UAE have entered this industry and that the country is looking carefully for its plan for the future,” said Ebtesam al Mazrooei, a masters communications engineering student at United Arab Emirates University. “There’s a lot of information coming at you for the first two weeks but once you enter and see the manufacturing of wafers in the clean room, it is really an amazing experience.”

Hamda al Shehhi, a third-year chemical engineering student at the same university, said the experience had given her a new “plan for the rest of her life”. “It was difficult for me at the beginning because I’m not trained in electrical engineering, but when I came to Dresden, I feel that this is something I can be good at,” Ms al Shehhi said.

Abu Dhabi eyes tech future

Capital seeks to play a key role in research and development in bid to drive an innovation-based economy and make education affordable and accessible

-By Ibrahim Ajami, Special to Gulf News
-Published: 00:00July 21, 2010

Double-dip recession or not, global consumers are retaining a crush on their personal electronic goods and super smart mobile devices.

Even in tough economic times, the confluence of advances in computing, communications, mobile handsets, digital content and growing worldwide adoption of the internet is fuelling new purchases and creating a mobile revolution.

Not surprisingly, this consumption is becoming more Asia-centric. While China's gross domestic product constitutes roughly 60 per cent of the GDP of the US, China already consumes more electronics than the US, attributable to China's large middle-class of 400 million citizens.

Powering each of these electronic devices is a semiconductor chip, the "brain" that manages performance of each electronic good — whether it's a laptop, mobile phone, or even your new washing machine or automobile.

Semiconductors are synonymous with innovation and productivity. Over the past 50 years, the semiconductor industry has transformed our way of life through intense innovation. We have leapfrogged from the invention of mainframe computers in the 1960s to the ubiquity of personal computers in the 1980s to the internet in the 1990s.

Mobile revolution

Now the mobile revolution is at hand: over one billion units sold with another nine billion on the way, all connected over wireless broadband links to millions of data servers via the "cloud," delivering content and services anytime, anywhere.

The more mobile, more integrated, more Asia-centric, more digital world has significant implications for us in Abu Dhabi. Why? Because Abu Dhabi is investing in the development and manufacturing of this growing and influential sector.

In 2008, Abu Dhabi decided to make a substantial investment in semiconductor manufacturing. It is one of the most technologically complex and sophisticated industries on earth. Over two billion transistors can fit on a microchip the size of your fingernail.

No other industry on earth doubles its productivity with little additional cost to consumers. Imagine an automobile coming to market using half the gasoline, giving you twice the mileage, with increased speed at a lower cost — every two years.

If you look at Taiwan, Singapore or high-tech clusters like Saxony in Germany or Silicon Valley, you can see what an advanced technology network of talent and technology can do to create job growth and economic transformation. This investment is fully in line with Abu Dhabi's 2030 vision to diversify our economy over the next two decades. The semiconductor industry is also as global as any industry can get.

To date, the Advanced Technology Investment Company of Abu Dhabi has committed over $10 billion to our portfolio company, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, rapidly making it one of the largest semiconductor manufacturing companies on earth. In addition to facilities in Singapore, Dresden and upstate New York, we announced on June 1 our intention to create an advanced technology ecosystem in Abu Dhabi.

Our goal is to be more integrated with leading technology clusters. But you cannot create a vibrant technology cluster in Abu Dhabi without investing in research and development. You need the collaboration of academic institutions and internationally recognised research entities to bring this innovation to life here in Abu Dhabi. We need new students, teachers and academia to collaborate on innovation with industry leaders. That is what has worked so well in other parts of the world.

That is why the Abu Dhabi Education Council's (ADEC) recent announcement unveiling its higher education strategy is so significant. The goals are a) to raise the quality of Abu Dhabi's higher education to international levels; b) to align education with Abu Dhabi's economic, social and cultural needs; c) to build and maintain a research ecosystem to drive an innovation-based economy; and d) to make education affordable and accessible.

By 2018, the annual spend on this strategy will be Dh4.9 billion, much of it directed at research and development. This will elevate Abu Dhabi's R&D expenditure to around 0.75 per cent of GDP, approaching advanced world levels which range from 1.5 per cent of GDP to just over four per cent of GDP.

Implementation plan

This will not only be essential to semiconductors and advanced technology, but will drive innovation in aerospace, health care, and renewable energy, among other key pillars of the 2030 diversification strategy.

ADEC will now begin putting in place an implementation plan and we will support them by pulling in our global network of partners to realise a strong semiconductor R&D presence in Abu Dhabi.

The ADEC announcement came on the heels of a major semiconductor industry conference ATIC hosted in Abu Dhabi. In May, over sixty representatives of the world's most respected research institutions, in conjunction with the Semiconductor Research Corporation and the National Science Foundation, came to the Emirate to discuss the major research challenges facing the semiconductor industry.

We shared ideas but as importantly, began to gain their enthusiasm for the journey ahead and how Abu Dhabi can play a key role in their future research and development efforts. It is all part of an effort to shape our "human capital" here in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi's 2030 vision and its investments in the future have put the us on the path toward bringing that innovation home. One day, the device in your hand will have components in it that are designed in the US, developed and manufactured in Abu Dhabi, assembled in Singapore, and packaged in China. We have a long journey ahead of us, but we are investing in the critical components to make it a reality here in Abu Dhabi.


The writer is the Chief Executive Officer of the Advanced Technology Investment Company

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You have said : “Passage to speed top” ? ^^

Pioneering chip plant in Abu Dhabi to cost at least $ 6bn

Ben Flanagan

-Last Updated: September 15. 2010 11:58PM UAE / September 15. 2010 7:58PM GMT

The Abu Dhabi Government-owned Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) is to spend between US $ 6billion and $ 7bn building its microchip manufacturing plant in the emirate.

The move is part of the company’s efforts to tap into rising demand for semiconductors.

News of the multibillion-dollar price tag comes just four months after the company selected a site for the plant near Abu Dhabi International Airport, which will become the first microchip factory in the Middle East when it begins production in 2015.

“$ 6bn to $ 7bn is the estimated cost of what it will take to build a state of the art fabricating facility anywhere in the world,” said a spokesman for ATIC.

ATIC’s planned spending on the plant comes on top of the $ 3.6bn the company has pledged to expand the capacity of its Globalfoundries microchip business.

That investment will be divided between Globalfoundries chip-making plants in Germany and the US. “[About] $ 1.6bn of that will be in Dresden, the other $ 2bn will be in New York,” the spokesman said.

In March, ATIC paid its US counterpart Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) $ 2.1bn for a 65.8 per cent stake in Globalfoundries. While ATIC’s stake has since grown to 73 per cent since March, the spokesman said it did not intend to take 100 per cent ownership of Globalfoundaries.

“Every new dollar we invest in Globalfoundries will, by evolution, reduce the percentage of what [AMD] owns in it. The intention is to continue to have a long partnership with AMD and not buy [Globalfoundries] outright. It’s not our intention to buy their share completely,” he said.

ATIC plans to broaden its investment focus next year. “Right now, the focus is on Globalfoundries. As you look at 2011, you will see that perspective start to broaden. You’ll see complementary kinds of investments in the technology ecosystem in 2011 and beyond,” the spokesman said.

He said design companies, intellectual property companies and those that serve chip-makingplants were possible investment targets.

ATIC said the Abu Dhabi plant would “be part of the Globalfoundries network” but added that ATIC may provide auxiliary services for the facility.

The launch of a factory will propel the UAE capital on to the world stage of technological development, the spokesman said. “It’s our strong belief that Abu Dhabi will be a hub as part of the global technology network,” he said, pointing to the increasing demand for high-tech products from the emerging markets in the Gulf and India.

Rising demand in the sector means the semiconductor foundry industry will be worth $26.8bn this year, said the technology research firm IC Insights.

Building a talent base in the UAE will be essential to the successful operation of a chip-making plant, which would typically employ 1,000 to 1,500 employees, ATIC said.

The talent gap is a “huge concern” in the launch of high-tech ventures such as the Abu Dhabi microchip plant, said Ranjit Rajan, the research director at IDC Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

“One of the biggest concerns with establishing high-tech manufacturing in general is lack of skills. In spite of all the Government has invested in education, it takes time for this to yield results,” he said.

Mr Rajan said there were several reasons behind ATIC’s decision to build a new plant in Abu Dhabi. One factor was the geographical position of the country between the markets in the East and West. Another was the expected increase in demand for microchips. A third was that the semiconductor business was not as labour intensive as other parts of the technology manufacturing industry, where much of the production has been outsourced to cheaper labour markets.

“The UAE can’t compete there, so it’s looking at areas that are not labour intensive but are technology intensive,” Mr Rajan said.

He said the semiconductor business suited Abu Dhabi as it “requires a lot of investment, and not everyone can do that”.

 

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Microprocessor AMD

GlobalFoundries Granted Independence, Acquires Remaining Stake from AMD

by Anand Lal Shimpi on 3/4/2012 9:04 PM EST
Posted in CPUs , GlobalFoundries , AMD

When AMD originally spun off its foundry business in 2008, the resulting Foundry Company (as it was called back then) was 55.6% ATIC owned and 44.4% AMD owned. Since then the Foundry Company has been rebranded Global Foundries and has been on a march towards independence. Plans for additional fabs and the acquisition of Chartered Semiconductor both strengthened GF as a player in the foundry space. A closer relationship with ARM and its partners has also been a key element of GF's strategy.

AMD has been divesting itself from Global Foundries over the past few years and today announced that it has aquired the remaining shares of the company from AMD (approximately 14% of the company). Global Foundries is now completely independent of AMD, and AMD is now a regular partner/customer of GF's.

ATIC CEO ‘Ibrahim Ajami’ presents
Semiconductors : The Silver Lining

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ATIC and GLOBALFOUNDRIES announce new leadership to drive continued investment through 2012

DRESDEN, GERMANY: June 16, 2011. As part of a plan to continue significant investments in technology, talent and manufacturing capacity over the next 18 months, the board of directors of GLOBALFOUNDRIES - along with its majority shareholder, the Advanced Technology Investment Company - announced today it has appointed new leadership to run the company.

Semiconductor industry veteran Ajit Manocha has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer of GLOBALFOUNDRIES. James A. Norling will serve as Executive Chairman and Ibrahim Ajami will serve as Vice Chairman of the GLOBALFOUNDRIES board of directors. All appointments are effective immediately.

"GLOBALFOUNDRIES is just two years old, but in that short time customers have embraced what it represents to the market," said Norling. "At the same time, customers are asking us for more capacity, faster technology delivery and greater agility. The Board intends for this new management team to meet those customer needs while improving operational performance."

"GLOBALFOUNDRIES, with the continuous support of ATIC, is in the middle of an intense, competitive ramp-up of manufacturing capacity and technology development," said Ajami, who will also remain CEO of ATIC. Under this new leadership team, investment in GLOBALFOUNDRIES will double over the next 18 months."

Through end of May 2011, ATIC had invested over $6 billion, to acquire the former manufacturing assets of Advanced Micro Devices in Dresden, Germany ($2.1 billion in March 2009) and the assets of Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing of Singapore ($3.1 billion in December 2009) as well as an estimated $1 billion to construct a new fabrication facility in upstate New York. Through the end of 2012, ATIC will invest another approximately $6 billion in manufacturing capacity in Dresden, Singapore and New York with initial construction to begin in Abu Dhabi.

Doug Grose, who has served as CEO of GLOBALFOUNDRIES since its inception, will transition to become senior advisor to GLOBALFOUNDRIES and ATIC with a focus on technology leadership and ensuring delivery of next generation technologies for competitive differentiation. Chia Song Hwee, Chief Operating Officer, will remain with the company in that position until August 2011, when he will return to be part of Singapore's business future.

"Doug Grose and Chia Song Hwee formed the foundation of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, bringing together the world's leading-edge manufacturing technology with the heritage of a full-service foundry partner," said Norling. "This new leadership team will build on that foundation, as we increase investment in technology, capacity and talent while optimizing performance."

Norling also said an executive search for a permanent CEO has already begun. Manocha's focus in the short-term is to work closely with top management and talent of the company to optimize performance, continue progress on the customer and technology roadmap, and continue the efficient ramp of capacity in Dresden and New York.

Manocha is a veteran semiconductor industry executive with more than 30 years of global expertise in operations, general management, and manufacturing. Having recently served as an advisor to ATIC, Manocha brings a wealth of talent, experience and leadership ability to GLOBALFOUNDRIES at a critical time in the company's development. Manocha was previously Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations at Spansion. Prior to Spansion, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Manufacturing Officer at NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors), where he was responsible for worldwide IC manufacturing, supply chain management and purchasing for the semiconductor division. Manocha held senior executive and management positions at AT&T Microelectronics and AT&T Bell Laboratories, and began his career as a research scientist and was granted over a dozen U.S. and international patents for several novel inventions in the field of technology for microelectronics.

Norling is the former Chairman of Chartered Semiconductor and also served as interim CEO of that company in 2002. He has over three decades of working experience in the electronics industry, with global breadth and deep customer relationships. Norling was with Motorola Inc. from 1965 to 2000 holding various positions, including President of the Semiconductor Products Sector for seven years, from 1986 to 1993. He was also president of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region in 1993, deputy to the chief executive officer in 1998 and president of the Personal Communications Sector from 1999 until 2000, when he retired from Motorola. In 2001, he joined the board of Chartered Semiconductor.

Ajami has been CEO of ATIC since November 2008, leading the investment company through strategic acquisitions of semiconductor manufacturing assets and the creation of GLOBALFOUNDRIES as well as other investments in innovative start-up companies such as Calxeda. Ajami brings strong customer and partner relationships to GLOBALFOUNDRIES with a focus on investment discipline. He joined ATIC from Mubadala Development Company, where he was Associate Director of Acquisitions and led the initial investment in AMD in 2007. Prior to Mubadala, he held several positions in Silicon Valley, including Packard Bell/NEC.

About GLOBALFOUNDRIES

GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the world's first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global manufacturing and technology footprint. Launched in March 2009 through a partnership between AMD [NYSE: AMD] and the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), GLOBALFOUNDRIES provides a unique combination of advanced technology, manufacturing excellence and global operations. With the integration of Chartered in January 2010, GLOBALFOUNDRIES significantly expanded its capacity and ability to provide best-in-class foundry services from mainstream to the leading edge. GLOBALFOUNDRIES is headquartered in Silicon Valley with manufacturing operations in Singapore, Germany, and a new leading-edge fab under construction in Saratoga County, New York. These sites are supported by a global network of R&D, design enablement, and customer support in Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

About ATIC

The Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) was created in 2008. A technology investment company wholly owned by the Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi, ATIC is focused on making significant investments in the advanced technology sector, both locally and internationally. Its mandate is to generate returns that deliver long-term benefits to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

ATIC seeks to leverage the unique advantages it enjoys as an investor from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to identify and realize long-term investment opportunities in the highly competitive and capital-intensive advanced technology sector. These advantages include significant and reliable capital, a patient investment philosophy, and a subsequently long-term investment horizon.

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Link early UAE : Traditions are changing. We are going from sand to silicon Part 1.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/middle...-changing-we-going-sand-silicon-part-1-a.html

 

[haviZsultan]

Having lived in Dubai I am really glad from where to where this country has come. It is indeed the city of luxury and pleasure today.