What to Make of the ‘Quantum Advantage’ at SEMICON West?

IBM demos its model of the bleeding-edge Q Computer, while the Quantum Economic Development Consortium lays out first steps toward creation of a Quantum Industry Roadmap

Dean Kamen introduces quantum leaps for enabling large-scale replacement of human organs

New additions to the already announced top-shelf keynotes feature Nate Baxter of TEL, Oreste Donzella of KLA, Victor Peng of Xilinx, Dr. Lisa Su of AMD and Aart de Geus of Synopsys

AI Design Forum™ returns to explore “The Future of Computing – from Materials to Systems,” as Electronic Systems Design Alliance co-locates for the first time with SEMICON West

MILPITAS, Calif. – June 25, 2019 – SEMICON West participants will gain first look at Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) roadmapping activities devoted to the pursuit of U.S. leadership in the rapidly emerging global quantum industry – as well as live demonstrations of IBM’s Q Computer model, which showcases quantum computing architecture built upon decades of semiconductor industry advances. Markets that soon may claim staggering leaps from a quantum computational capacity span from automotive to medical, financial and energy.

This opportunity to gauge the impact and timing of quantum advantage on applications for sensing, communication and computing, as well as the opportunities and demands for the microelectronics supply chain, will be among highlights at the 49th SEMICON West, July 9-11 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

Boeing and IBM, as well as pure-play quantum companies like Zapata Computing and QCWare and more than 50 other U.S. companies from across the quantum supply chain, have joined the QED-C. The consortium – recently launched with support from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and industry, and managed by SRI International – aims to enable and grow the U.S. commercial quantum industry. Among the many next-generation technologies to be featured, SEMICON West will host a TechTALK where QED-C and industry leaders will detail quantum opportunities – from software to manufacturing.

Also addressing the promise of quantum advancements will be SEMICON West keynote Dean Kamen, founder of DEKA Research and Development and a legendary inventor, who will explore the leading edge in biofabrication of human organs. Called a “modern-day Edison” by Fortune magazine, Kamen noted “The world needs a quantum leap in the ability to replace body organs, which is where we’re going. And we’re united philosophically with SEMI on the need and effort to cultivate the next wave of talent that’ll help take us there and beyond.”

Prior to their TechTALK, QED-C will be among a select set of news presenters and economic forecasts at the West View Media Lunch and News Conference Tuesday, July 9.

New SEMICON West Keynotes

	Nate Baxter, general manager of Tokyo Electron’s U.S. Development and production group, will address What Does Innovation Look Like in the Era of Industry 4.0.
	Oreste Donzella, KLA senior vice president of Global Customer Solutions and Chief Marketing Officer, will speak on Trends in Automotive: The Changing Role of Fab Inspection and Metrology in ‘Zero Defect.’
	Victor Peng, Xilinx President and CEO, will present entirely new silicon and software platforms for AI Era applications, designed to deliver order-of-magnitude improvements in performance and performance per watt.

A complete list of keynotes and executive panels is available online. So is information about topics and speakers for the AI Design Forum: The Future of Computing – from Materials to Systems, 9:15 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, July 9.

As SEMI and the Electronic System Design Alliance evolve to move the industry forward, ES Design West will co-locate with SEMICON West. Platinum Sponsors for SEMICON West are Applied Materials, KLA, Lam Research and TEL. Other top sponsors are AEM Singapore, ASE, Burr & Forman LLP, Edwards, eSilicon Corporation, SAP and Silvaco.

SEMICON West is the culmination of eight progressive conferences that comprise SEMI’s inaugural Technology Leadership Series of the Americas. More information is available on the SEMICON West 2019 website.

Follow SEMICON West and the AI Design Forum on Twitter: #SEMICONWest, #AIDesignForum and @SEMIconex

About SEMI

SEMI® connects more than 2,100 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Association Partners, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Visit www.semi.org to learn more, contact one of our worldwide offices, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter.