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With growing workforce development initiatives in the US. APAC, Europe, Latin America, and other regions, the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Academic & Research Alliances (SARA) program is doing its part to overcome the global semiconductor talent shortage. By working with universities, bringing technology to classrooms, and providing diverse academic offerings, the SARA program is empowering future industry leaders in electronic design. 

Partnering with the academic world is a complex and multi-layered task that many in the industry may not have the knowledge and expertise to execute. While ²ÝÁñÉçÇø has always prioritized workforce development and invested in these initiatives, there¡¯s one individual whose vision, commitment, and efforts stand out and deserve recognition. 

For his dedication to the electronic design automation (EDA) industry, Dr. Patrick Haspel was recently awarded the 2024 Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on Design Automation (SIGDA) at the 61st Design Automation Conference (DAC). The award is given to individuals¡ªprimarily academics and rarely industry professionals¡ªwho have dedicated many years of their career in extraordinary services to promoting, leading, or creating ACM and SIGDA programs or events.

Yiran Chen, Chair of ACM and SIGDA, had much to say on Haspel¡¯s impact:

¡°At ACM SIGDA, we are all amazed by Patrick's transformative impact on the EDA industry, particularly in how he encourages companies to appreciate the value universities can bring. Having known him for many years, I am consistently impressed by his talent for fostering these crucial connections. Patrick not only prioritizes the interests of academic researchers but also helps them gain industry exposure to advance their work. His passion shines through in his meticulous planning of programs that link academia with engineers, his collaborations with faculty and companies, and his efforts to inspire the ecosystem to prioritize industry advancement.¡±

We spoke with Haspel to celebrate his achievement and understand what drives his zeal for bringing academia closer to the industry.  

Q: What does winning the 2024 SIGDA Distinguished Service Award mean to you?

I¡¯m so proud to be part of ACM SIGDA and grateful to have opportunities to meet others from the scientific community. When it comes to innovation, staying within your bubble isn¡¯t beneficial. Instead, I¡¯ve spent most of my professional career trying to change the culture of EDA and what academic/industry partnerships can look like. It has been a team effort, and it¡¯s humbling to see all our hard work pay off.

This award also serves as a proof point for what ²ÝÁñÉçÇø is doing through its SARA program to overcome the semiconductor talent shortage. We have the knowledge, expertise, and connections to work alongside the academic world, government affairs, customers, and more to continue creating workforce development programs. Really, this is just the beginning.

Q: Do you have advice for up-and-coming engineering students hoping to pursue a semiconductor career?

As we embark on this era of pervasive intelligence, it¡¯s important to understand that while AI is a powerful tool, it¡¯s not enough to solve the workforce issue. The semiconductor industry will always need skilled engineers to create better chips; human intelligence is necessary to be successful in chip design. Instead, AI will only make their jobs more exciting by taking over the legwork and more time-consuming tasks. AI will not make semiconductor jobs obsolete, it will only free up their time to do more meaningful work.