REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance) today announced it entered into a memorandum of understanding to become a SEMI® Strategic Association Partner while continuing to pursue its mission of representing companies in the semiconductor design ecosystem.

As a SEMI Strategic Association Partner, the ESD Alliance will continue to act as the central voice of the semiconductor design industry to promote its value as a vital component of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. The mission of its technical programs, initiatives and events will not change and, with SEMI’s global infrastructure, will expand its geographic reach.

In the past, SEMI’s focus had been solely on electronics manufacturing and largely on the semiconductor supply chain. SEMI’s expanded mission now encompasses the entire electronic product design and manufacturing chain. “It makes perfect sense for the two groups to work together, given SEMI’s broadened mission and our expertise in electronic design,” notes Bob Smith, executive director of the ESD Alliance. “The ESD Alliance will be the focal point for the design ecosystem as it always has. The only difference is that the ESD Alliance will be operating as a strategic partner under the SEMI umbrella.”

As a global organization and platform, SEMI will provide the ESD Alliance the opportunity to expand its reach and activities beyond North America, while SEMI benefits from direct engagement with the ESD Alliance’s design ecosystem expertise. SEMI’s technology communities and activities include advocacy, standards and environment, health and safety (EH&S). By bringing in the ESD Alliance as a Strategic Association Partner, SEMI strengthens its ability to serve the entire electronic product manufacturing chain.

“The semiconductor industry has grown and matured since the EDA Consortium was formed,” remarks, Dr. Aart de Geus, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Synopsys and a member of the ESD Alliance board of directors. “Many of the previously disparate areas within the industry now overlap and it’s obvious we need to address the supply chain from manufacturing all the way through design. The ESD Alliance represents the system design ecosystem and perfectly aligns with SEMI’s vision to support the entire supply chain. As an international organization with offices around the globe, SEMI gives the ESD Alliance an opportunity to further expand its reach and grow to its full potential.”

“Design is the very foundation of semiconductor innovation and manufacturing, and the ESD Alliance complements SEMI’s existing membership in bringing smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products to more people every day,” adds Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI. “The ESD Alliance members bring key insights to SEMI vertical application platforms such as Smart Transportation, Smart Manufacturing and Smart Data to enhance collaboration and innovation across the collective SEMI membership. We welcome ESD Alliance members to the SEMI family of Strategic Association Partners as we continue to broaden SEMI’s scope to include the full global electronics product design and manufacturing supply chain.”

The ESD Alliance Board of Directors will continue to govern the ESD Alliance’s distinct community, setting the organization’s direction and will function as an Executive Advisory Council of SEMI.

The integration is planned to be completed in 2018.

About SEMI
SEMI® connects over 2,000 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics 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. 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. Since 1970, SEMI has built connections that have helped its members prosper, create new markets, and address common industry challenges together. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley (Milpitas, Calif.), Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.  For more information, visit www.semi.org and follow SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About the Electronic System Design Alliance
The Electronic System Design (ESD) Alliance, an international association of companies providing goods and services throughout the semiconductor design ecosystem, is a forum to address technical, marketing, economic and legislative issues affecting the entire industry. It acts as the central voice to communicate and promote the value of the semiconductor design industry as a vital component of the global electronics industry.

Follow the ESD Alliance:
Website: esd-alliance.org
ESD Alliance Bridging the Frontier blog:  http://bit.ly/2oJUVzl
Twitter: @ESDAlliance
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8424092
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ESDAlliance

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For more information, contact:
Nanette Collins 
Public Relations for the ESD Alliance 
(617) 437-1822
nanette@nvc.com