The 2025 AMIC & CHIPS Joint Meeting at the University of Wisconsin–Madison was a resounding success. Nearly 150 registrants, including industry partners, faculty, staff, and students, gathered for a full day of cutting-edge discussions, networking, and collaboration in next-generation microelectronics.
The energy in the room was palpable! Approximately 80 engaged attendees actively participated throughout the day, seamlessly navigating a rich agenda that began with a welcome remark from the Dean. The event featured insightful overviews of the Office of Corporate Relations, AMIC Consortium, our NSF-funded Wisconsin MRSEC, the newly founded Wisconsin CHIPS Center, individual research pillars, and emerging technology trends in semiconductors, data storage, and memory products. Industry experts also provided valuable insights into these areas.
Highlights of the Event
- Inspiring Keynote: Whitney Mason, Director of the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) at DARPA, delivered an engaging keynote on The Next Revolution in Microelectronics. She emphasized the upcoming microsystem disruption and how DARPA is driving a competitive edge for U.S. microelectronics. Dr. Mason also invited attendees to consider joining DARPA as MTO Program Managers to help shape the future of defense and commercial microelectronics.
- University Spotlight for People, Research Resources, and Talent Solutions: University speakers presented overviews of AMIC, CHIPS, and MRSEC, highlighting research expertise, shared facilities, prototyping capabilities, and student talent. They reinforced UW-Madison’s position as a microelectronics research powerhouse and emphasized talent development as a critical link between academic research and industry needs.
- Industry Trends and Innovation: Representatives from Lockheed Martin, Intel, Eaton, Western Digital, Micron, Seagate, Polar Semiconductor, and high-tech startup BOLB shared their latest innovations and interests in university-industry research collaborations. They emphasized the strong demand for UW-Madison students and the role of partnerships in driving future advancements.
- Student & Industry Connections: The industry exhibition and student poster session provided a dynamic platform for students to engage directly with industry leaders, fostering potential internships, job opportunities, and long-term partnerships.
The UW AMIC & Wisconsin CHIPS Joint Meeting once again demonstrated that collaboration among academia, industry, and government is essential for advancing high-tech such as next-generation microelectronics. Our planning committee’s dedication and hard work made the event’s success possible. Our commitment ensured that every aspect—from agenda design to seamless execution—created a high-impact, engaging, and collaborative experience for all attendees. Also, a huge “thank you!” to our event sponsors—Wisconsin MRSEC and Wisconsin CHIPS!
Building on this momentum, we are already taking follow-up actions, including company site visits and AMIC lunch seminars with industry leaders soon. These efforts aim to transform conversations into tangible outcomes, such as the industry contributing to our new engineering building, meeting industry talent needs, and increasing sponsored research in next-generation microelectronics at UW-Madison College of Engineering.
Stay tuned for the next steps. You will hear from us soon!