Oregon Semiconductor and AI Innovation Summit

December 6, 2024

Intel Jones Farm Conference Center | Hillsboro, Oregon

The Summit brought together a distinguished assembly of leaders from the semiconductor industry, academia, AI research, and government to strategize on strengthening Oregon’s position as a leader in technology innovation. This collaborative event, co-hosted by the Technology Association of Oregon, Oregon State University, and Intel Corporation, with additional sponsorship from Synopsys and Provenance Chain Network, marked a significant step toward advancing the state’s semiconductor and AI ecosystem. 

Event Attendance

The summit attracted robust interest, with 352 registered participants, 35 waitlisted, and a final in-person attendance of 300 leaders. The audience represented a cross-section of key stakeholders driving the future of Oregon’s semiconductor and AI industries.

Key Attendee Metrics:

C-Suite Leaders: 36 attendees
Founders: 30 attendees

Key Organizations Represented:

HP, Intel, Kaiser, Lam Research, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oregon Department of Education, ServerLogic, Siemens, Synopsys, Tektronix, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Higher Education Institutions Represented:

George Fox University, Oregon State University, Oregon Health and Science University, Mt. Hood Community College, Portland Community College, Portland State University, University of Portland, University of Oregon, and Willamette University.

Featured Speakers and Panels

Opening Remarks:

Jayathi Y. Murthy, president of Oregon State University, set an inspiring tone for the summit with her opening remarks. She highlighted Oregon State’s unwavering commitment to fostering the AI and semiconductor industry in Oregon. Murthy emphasized the university’s role as a key driver in advancing regional innovation, supporting workforce development, and ensuring that Oregon remains a global leader in technology innovation.

Keynote Address:

Chris George, president of Intel Federal, delivered a keynote address that outlined Intel’s strategic vision for AI innovation. He discussed the challenges and opportunities in accelerating AI adoption across the semiconductor industry and reaffirmed Intel’s dedication to supporting Oregon’s growth as a hub for semiconductor research and manufacturing.

Presentation on the Regional Innovation Engine:

Tom Weller, head of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Oregon State, presented a detailed and compelling case for Oregon’s unique opportunity to establish an NSF-funded Regional Innovation Engine. He delved into how AI could revolutionize the design, manufacturing, and testing of semiconductors, outlining Oregon State’s ambitious plans to lead this transformative effort.

Semiconductor Design Automation and AI:

Antonio de la Serna, principal director of strategic technology at Siemens EDA, captivated the audience with a fascinating presentation on the history of semiconductor design automation technologies. He explored key advancements that have shaped the industry and identified future opportunities where AI could further optimize the efficiency and speed of semiconductor design processes.

Lunch Session Presentation:

During the lunch session, Harish Balan, global ambassador for academic & research alliances at Synopsys, shared insights into Synopsys’ pivotal role in the semiconductor design supply chain. He highlighted the company’s robust commitment to workforce development through their university software program, education partnerships, and research partnerships. Balan’s presentation provided an inspiring perspective on how academia-industry alliances can foster innovation and build the skilled workforce needed to sustain the industry’s growth.

Panel Discussion: RIE and Oregon

Following lunch, the program continued with a thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by Skip Newberry, President of the Technology Association of Oregon. The panel featured an impressive lineup of speakers:

  • US Congresswoman Elect Janelle Bynum
  • Surekha Reddy, President of the Women in Big Data Chapter and Cofounder of an AI startup called Cognogent.
  • Oregon Representative Nathan Sosa, representing District 30

    The panel focused on the critical importance of the semiconductor industry to Oregon’s economy and innovation ecosystem. Each panelist brought a unique perspective, enriching the discussion with insights into policy, workforce needs, and the startup landscape. Congresswoman Elect Janelle Bynum and Representative Nathan Sosa emphasized their strong commitment to fostering a healthy and competitive semiconductor sector in Oregon. Both highlighted the need for state and federal policies that prioritize investments in infrastructure, research, and workforce development to ensure Oregon’s leadership in this globally competitive industry.

    Plenary Closing Remarks

    The plenary session concluded with Pallavi Dhagat, Dean’s Professor in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University, delivering powerful closing remarks. Dhagat highlighted the unique and transformative opportunity the NSF Regional Innovation Engine program presents for Oregon, emphasizing its potential to position the state as a global leader at the intersection of AI and semiconductor innovation. She reiterated how the RIE initiative could not only drive groundbreaking advancements in semiconductor design, manufacturing, and testing but also create a robust ecosystem for workforce development, economic growth, and technological leadership.

    Breakout Sessions

    Following the conclusion of the plenary sessions, the summit transitioned into two specialized breakout tracks hosted by proposal team working groups. These sessions provided attendees with the opportunity to dive deeper into key themes central to the NSF Regional Innovation Engine initiative and its potential impact on Oregon’s semiconductor and AI ecosystems.

    Track 1: Translation to Practice and Use-Inspired Research

    Track 2: Workforce Development and STEM

    Overall Call to Action for FAST: 

    The organizers concluded by urging all attendees — industry leaders, academic representatives, and policymakers alike — to actively support this critical effort. They encouraged everyone to advocate for the RIE proposal, build partnerships, and contribute to aligning resources and expertise toward making Oregon’s vision a reality.  

    Specifically, the RIE proposal team need organizations to: 

    • Identify and commit material contributions to the proposal, to meet NSF support matching requirements. These contributions can be in cash, or in-kind. 
    • Key in-kind contributions sought by the RIE team include contributions of: 
      • Expertise in business formation and infrastructure, office space, and professional services. 
      • Technical and developmental contributions of tooling (software and hardware), testing and characterization services, prototyping services, equipment loans, and lab space.