Bhubaneswar: IIT Bhubaneswar has signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a semiconductor technology company to promote joint research, industry-focused education, training and innovation in the field.According to an official statement issued by the institute on Wednesday, the collaboration aims to strengthen the link between academia and industry in the semiconductor sector. The company, Banashree Semiconductors, works in advanced silicon-node technologies, low-power chip design, and optimisation of power, performance and area, with emphasis on reduced transistor-count architectures for system-on-chip applications.The partnership will combine IIT Bhubaneswar’s academic and research strengths with Banashree Semiconductors’ industry expertise. As part of the agreement, both organisations will take up joint research and development projects, create design optimisation flows, and support faculty and student exchanges, internships, training programmes and collaborative research activities.The two sides will also explore externally funded research and consultancy projects. They may share access to computing resources, design tools, laboratory facilities, testing infrastructure and research equipment.A major component of the collaboration will be practical industry exposure for students. The IIT Bhubaneswar students will get opportunities to pursue internships, project work, training and research at Banashree Semiconductors. Engineers and scientists from the company may also participate in research and academic programmes at the institute.The agreement also includes plans for joint workshops, seminars, short-term courses, conferences and research publications.The initiative is expected to support skill development and promote industry-relevant research in semiconductor design and related areas. It will also help bridge the gap between academic research and the needs of the semiconductor industry.IIT Bhubaneswar had received administrative approval from ministry of electronics and information technology in 2022 to implement the Chips to Start-up Programme, which is part of the Centre’s efforts to position India as a major semiconductor hub.Another semiconductor company, SiCSem, has also set up a research and innovation centre at IIT Bhubaneswar with an investment of Rs 64 crore. The institute has partnered with other companies for research in the sector and has introduced an MTech programme in semiconductor technology and chip design to meet growing industry demand.
