Dubai Silicon Oasis will sign a memorandum of understanding today with California-based Silicon Valley Institute to support its Microelectronics Training Academy.
The academy will be formally launched on Thursday with a one-day seminar on 'How Silicon Chips are Cooked', followed by a three-day forum and workshop later this month on nanometer design challenges.
"The nanometer design is one of the hottest topics in the microelectronics industry today and goes beyond the microchip. But nanos have limits and we are bringing top experts to dwell on this as well as discuss next generation issues," said Easa Bastaki, director of technology and development at the Oasis.
The academy is a new initiative to incubate a pool of skilled professionals in the region and will offer a continuous series of courses from January.
"Our main goal is to facilitate technology transfer to the UAE, to retain and nationalise it so that talent is created here and knowledge is transferred here."
"This technology is at the core of all hi-tech devices today. It will help faculty, students and professionals update their skills here in the region, an opportunity that did not exist before," said Adnan Harb, assistant professor, Department of Electrical Engineering at UAE University in Al Ain.
It is located at Silicon Oasis's Microelectronic Innovation Centre, both of which will be strengthened by a sophisticated research and development lab.
The lab, still in the planning stage, will be the first of its kind in the region and will provide opportunities for hands-on training to students and professionals, said Mohammad Imam, senior manager of technology and R&D at the Oasis.
Companies in the Oasis, the first phase of which will be ready by the end of next year, will be able to use the lab, he said.
"The academy will help provide continuing education to engineers in the region enabling them to update their knowledge in a very vital aspect of electronic engineering," said Dr. Assim Sagahyroon, associate professor of computer engineering, American University of Sharjah.
The "efforts build a knowledge base of how actually this technology is implemented and how we can manufacture integrated circuits. It will catalyse the start of this industry here," said Dr. Kahtan Mezher, associate professor in electronic engineering, Etisalat University College.
