Similar chains for technology know-how and personnel are equally important but have received much less attention. In part, this is because they have been handled in-house. However, the capacity of even the largest companies to achieve the necessary span of control is now seriously limited, especially in the electronics industry. We became used to the inexorable results of Moore's Law - until 1995. Our experience since then has forced us to examine many of our cherished beliefs as the semiconductor industry wrestled with the dual challenges of an Asian crisis and gross over-capacity.
Consolidation is the order of the day.
Success comes from anticipating, not responding to, change. Responses of that kind are essential survival tools and they call for a skilled and adaptable workforce that is far beyond the current educational system capabilities. It is therefore in the interests of both the industry and the universities to partner to achieve their common goals. The goal is to promote Business - Engineering collaboration both in teaching and research. Key programs focus on partnership to promote closer dialog, interchange and sponsorship.