Collaborative micro-Electronic Design Excellence Centre, with a symmetric acronym CEDEC, was the Ministry of Finance-approved centre of excellence at USM for the coordination of an important area of microchip (IC) design among several Malaysian universities. The scarcity of local designers is seen as one of the obstacles of substantial investment in design related activities in Malaysia. Thus, the setting up of the Centre within a university producing graduates clearly marks a sharp contrast to previously supported initiatives in microelectronics. CEDEC coordinates sharing of the important EDA (Electronic Design Automation) software for IC design activities for universities while it also helps Silterra for its educational MPW (Multi-Project Wafer) program.
The creation of the Centre is expected to spearhead concerted efforts towards creating more human resource focusing on microelectronic design. This is certainly much needed to complement already existing and established capabilities for fabrication, assembly, packaging and testing in Malaysia. CEDEC acts as an interface between the academic and industrial engineering worlds in the hope of enhancing teaching, research and industrial application through the use of shared facilities. Our mission is to produce highly skilled design engineers and researchers to meet the needs of the rapidly changing global semiconductor industry.
CEDEC is also necessary to realize the five-year Malaysia Plan and the government of important documents such as Industrial Malaysia Plan (IMP), which can be realized with CEDEC’s role:
- Conduct research relevant to national needs and global requirements.
- Training of experts and researchers through offering will be a high degree program and student recruitment.
- Quality improvements through collaborative workspace between universities and industry, thus helping to promote R&D in universities to local industry.
- Increase efficiency in the use of equipment and software available in the industry to ensure the quality of talent that high efficiency.
- Ensure the electrical and electronic fields remained with the development and change fast and it also will maintain its position as one of the largest exporters in Malaysia.
Moreover CEDEC also be required to:
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To produce individuals who are experts in the design of integrated circuits with implementation activities such as forums and training.
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Improving the quality of the students involved in microelectronic engineering.
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Easy access to complete research to produce a project.
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Have staff who are trained to assist the production of a project.
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High Income funds from services rendered as well as meet the needs of the investigation.
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Improved economy through expertise and integrated circuit design production line with the government’s long-term strategy to drive the Malaysian economy towards a high-income country by 2020.
