Emerging Device and Architecture Innovations in the AI Era

ABSTRACT: 

SPEAKER:Prof. Ming Liu

Academician of CAS 

Fudan University, China

BIO:

Ming Liu is the professor of Fudan University, the director of academic committee in Institute of Microelectronic, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),Independent Non-executive Director, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation. She is also an academician of CAS, an IEEE Fellow and a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences. Ming Liu received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in semiconductor physics and device from HeFei University of Technology, Hefei, China, in 1985 and 1988, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in microelectronics from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronauts, China, in 1998.

Her current research interests are emerging memory and new computing paradigm. In addition of research work, Prof. Liu has contributed to promote IEEE regional activities via IEEE MQ, DL talks worldwide, such as the IEEE EDS Distinguished lecturer, Education committee, EDS newsletter editor, EDS Beijing chapter Chair., etc. She had also actively joined to organize international conference, such as Sub-committee Chair of IEDM Memory Technology, General Chair of the 2018 International conference on memristive, Devices & Systems and the 7Th International Conference on Computer Aided Design for Thin Film Transistor, etc.

Intelligent & Perceptive Sensing and Actuation for Next-Generation Secure Chips 

– From Physical Design to Machine Learning

SPEAKER:Provost’s Chair Prof. Massimo Alioto, Ph.D.

ECE - National University of Singapore, Singapore

E-mail: massimo.alioto@nus.edu.sg, malioto@ieee.org

Homepage: http://www.green-ic.org/ 

ABSTRACT: 

Physical security of next-generation silicon systems mandates major advances at their physical boundary, and hence in both on-chip sensing for attack detection and on-chip actuation for attack counteraction. This has recently motivated the investigation of a new breed of on-chip sensor interfaces and actuators that can inexpensively monitor continuously the chip environment, gaining physical context awareness and capturing physical anomalies. This trend is progressively fusing with relentless advances in inexpensive on-chip (AI) intelligence, which can oversee physical signals and events to orchestrate the on-chip security ecosystem.

In this keynote, the road towards ubiquitous intelligent & perceptive hardware security countermeasures is illustrated through the analysis of recent silicon demonstrations with unprecedented capabilities to perceive security events inexpensively, and react to them intelligently, all the time (always-on). The new concept of hardware patching is also discussed where circuit flexibility is introduced to make silicon chips able to evolve over time and counteract newly discovered vulnerabilities through (machine) learning-based physical protection mechanisms.

BIO:

Massimo Alioto is Provost’s Chair Professor at the ECE Department of the National University of Singapore, where he leads the Green IC group, the Integrated Circuits and Embedded Systems area, and the FD-fAbrICS center on intelligent&connected systems. Previously, he held positions at the University of Siena, Intel Labs – CRL (2013), University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (2011-2012), University of California – Berkeley (2009-2011), EPFL - Lausanne. He is (co)author of 400 publications on journals and conference proceedings, and four books with Springer (with two more coming). His primary research interests include ultra-low power and self-powered systems, green computing, circuits for machine intelligence, hardware security, and emerging technologies.

He was the Editor in Chief of the IEEE Transactions on VLSI Systems and Deputy Editor in Chief of the IEEE Journal on Emerging and Selected Topics in Circuits and Systems. He was the Chair of the Distinguished Lecturer Program for the IEEE CAS Society, and was a Distinguished Lecturer for the SSC and CAS Society. Previously, Prof. Alioto was the Chair of the “VLSI Systems and Applications” Technical Committee of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (2010-2012). He served as Guest Editor of numerous journal special issues (JSSC, TCAS-I, JETCAS…), Technical Program Chair of several IEEE conferences (ISCAS, SOCC, PRIME, ICECS), and TPC member (ISSCC, ASSCC). His research group contribution has been recognized through various best paper awards (e.g., ISSCC), and in the ten technological highlights of the TSMC annual report, among the others. Prof. Alioto is an IEEE Fellow.

SPEAKER:Prof. Shouyi Yin

Tsinghua University, China

BIO:

Shouyi Yin (Member, IEEE) received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electronic engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 2000, 2002, and 2005, respectively.,He was a Research Associate with Imperial College London, London, U.K. He is currently a Full Professor and the Vice-Director of the School of Integrated Circuits, Tsinghua University. He has published more than 100 journal articles and more than 50 conference papers. His research interests include reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence (AI) processors, and high-level synthesis.

Dr. Yin has served as a Technical Program Committee Member for the top very-large-scale-integration (VLSI) and electronic design automation (EDA) conferences, such as Asian Solid-State Circuits Conference (A-SSCC), IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Microarchitecture (MICRO), Design Automation Conference (DAC), International Conference on Computer-Aided Design (ICCAD), and Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference (ASP-DAC). He is also an Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems—I: Regular Papers (TCAS-I), ACM Transactions on Reconfigurable Technology and Systems (TRETS), and Integration, the VLSI Journal.(Based on document published on 25 August 2022).

Semiconductor Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Driven by Design Talent

SPEAKER:Prof. José Epifânio Da Franca

University of Lisbon

ABSTRACT:

Semiconductors are the foundation of the digital economy, powering advances in computing, communications,  mobility, health, energy, and defense. Beyond their technological significance, they represent one of the most dynamic frontiers of entrepreneurship, where science, engineering, business, and geopolitics converge.

This talk examines the evolution and current state of semiconductor entrepreneurship across three global regions: the United States, China, and Europe. The U.S. has excelled through the synergy of venture capital, research universities, and global companies, creating an ecosystem where startups and industry giants thrive side by side. China has mobilized massive state resources and talent, fueling a surge of ventures that serve vast domestic markets while aspiring to global leadership. Europe, with its world-class research and specialized industrial strengths, continues to seek new pathways for translating knowledge and talent into globally competitive ventures.

Ultimately, semiconductor entrepreneurship and innovation stand at the core of humanity’s next wave of progress. By enabling breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, sustainable energy, advanced mobility, healthcare, and security, they define the pace of global competitiveness and societal prosperity. The decisive factor for the future will not only be technological leadership, but also the capacity to nurture entrepreneurial talent and transform ideas into impactful ventures — ensuring that semiconductors continue to drive overwhelming progress for economies and societies worldwide.

BIO:

José Epifânio da Franca is (Retired) Full Professor of Electronic Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon. He is Operating Partner at Keensight Capital (France), member of the Supervision Committee of Buenavista Equity Parthers (Spain), and has several Advisory roles with national and international startups. 

In 1997, Dr. Franca co-founded Chipidea, a spin-off from the IST research group he had established in 1986. He served as Chipidea’s Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO, and under his leadership Chipidea became the world’s number one analog mixed-signal semiconductor intellectual property vendor (Gartner 2004-2007). The company was acquired by NASDAQ-listed MIPS Technologies Inc. in 2007, where he served in the Board of Directors, and subsequently by Synopsys in 2009.

From 2012 to 2015, Dr. Franca was appointed by the Government of Portugal founding CEO of Portugal Ventures, where he launched the Ignition Program to shape Portugal’s modern technology-based entrepreneurial ecosystem. A Life Fellow of IEEE and recipient of several national and international awards, he holds a Ph.D. from Imperial College London and an honorary Doctorate from the University of Macau. Dr. Franca also served in the Portuguese Government in 1991/92, as State Secretary for Education.