On October 10, 2024, imec announced the launch of star, a global network designed to foster innovation in automotive semiconductor technology and talent development. Building on the success of the Automotive Chiplet Alliance conference (ACA conference) (now the Automotive Chiplet Forum (ACF)), star brings together automotive and semiconductor innovators to address the technological challenges on the road to software-defined, electric vehicles. Mstar, the US chapter in Michigan established by KLA, the University of Michigan, Washtenaw Community College, GM, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and imec, aims to accelerate innovation for autonomous and electric vehicles, strengthen Michigan’s automotive semiconductor workforce, and build a robust local automotive semiconductor ecosystem.
Since its inaugural event in June 2023, the Automotive Chiplet Forum (an imec initiative) has attracted increasing participation from leading players in the automotive ecosystem, all rallying around the shift toward chiplet architectures that will enable the high-performance computing needed for future vehicles. A record number of r epresentatives from OEMs, Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers, IDMs, foundries, IP and tool vendors, software companies, as well as outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) suppliers and design houses have registered for the latest edition in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The remarkable success of the Automotive Chiplet Forum highlights the critical need for ecosystem-wide collaboration in addressing the challenges of automotive semiconductor technologies. Star was founded to meet this demand, providing a trusted platform for ongoing dialogue between automotive and semiconductor experts.
Star objectives and member benefits
Membership of star is complimentary and open to members of the automotive semiconductor ecosystem. Members will have access to exclusive networking opportunities and events and can share insights and research updates through the star website.
The Automotive Chiplet Forum will be integrated into star, and more events and webinars will be added. As rapid progress thrives on open standards, star will also advocate for standardization. Additionally, to ensure that there’s sufficient talent to drive and sustain the industry’s transformation, star will support various workforce development initiatives.
Mstar
Mstar is the Michigan-based chapter of star, founded by KLA, the University of Michigan, Washtenaw Community College, GM, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and imec.
Mstar’s objectives are to promote advanced semiconductor research for automotive applications, strengthen Michigan’s talent pipeline through partnerships with educational institutions, explore ecosystem collaboration opportunities, and expand the automotive semiconductor supply chain ecosystem in the region.
Organizations with an interest in these topics that want to connect with the Michigan semiconductor automotive ecosystem are invited to join the mstar ecosystem as a part of their star membership, gaining access to local events and insights while automatically becoming part of the broader star network.
Interested in joining star or star+mstar?
