Welcome from CSME Directors
With the natural synergy among commercial institutions to be part of a microelectronics supply chain and with the U.S. government strengthening e.g. through the CHIPS for America Act the U.S. economy and national security, the question is: “What is the role of academia in a Secure Microelectronic Ecosystem?”
CSME defines the academic contribution as twofold. On one hand, graduate students will be trained to work on scientific questions of relevance to a secure microelectronics supply chain assuming a zero-trust model, contributing to the development of a future workforce that is ready to address the challenges of designing secure microelectronics. On the other hand, critical research that can typically not be addressed in industry or government-only settings will be part of the CSME research endeavor. To ensure that the center leverages leading academic talent to achieve impact, CSME brings together multiple academic institutions across the U.S. to collaboratively pursue common research goals. A governing council and technical steering committee, consisting of members from industry and the U.S. government, will oversee and shape the center’s research efforts. The unique consortium model adopted by CSME is a promising approach to deliver solutions to complex problems that go beyond the typical research efforts in a university setting and is essential to address the topic of a Secure Microelectronic Ecosystem.