Led by Professor Iain Collings, with support from Professor Mike Boers, the Centre will train the next generation of integrated circuit designers who will help build the advanced chip-design capability required to transform Australia's future technological and economic resilience.
"The worldwide market for integrated circuits is heading towards a $1 trillion market and Australia really risks being left behind. It is absolutely vital for us to build our skills in this area," said Professor Collings.
Photo sourced: (Left to right) Professor Mike Boers and Professor Iain Collings, Professor Amin Beheshti and A/Professor Jafar Shojaii - The ARC Advanced Integrated Circuits Training Centre Macquarie Univeristy team.
The Centre will bring together researchers from Macquarie University, The University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, and Adelaide University, alongside a broad network of industry partners including:
- Atto Devices
- Australian Semiconductor Technology Company
- Cochlear
- Cuvos
- Deteqt
- Diraq
- Emergence Quantum
- Millibeam
- Perceptia Devices Australia
- Quasar Satellite Technologies
- Tectal Systems Australia
Research projects will focus on developing advanced integrated circuits for emerging applications including satellite internet, radiation-hardened chips for space technologies, low-power AI systems, quantum devices and advanced sensing technologies.
A key focus will be mixed-signal integrated circuit design, which combines analogue signals from the physical world with digital processing to create smarter, more efficient technologies.
"As processing demands become ever-more challenging, it is increasingly critical for the analogue and digital sub-systems of a chip to be integrated. If you can do both analogue and digital processing on one piece of silicon, it can be smaller, more efficient, and have better battery life.
"We're enabling Australia's digital future by training the next generation of chip designers, to have a transformational impact on Australian industry," says Professor Collings.
The Centre is expected to support a cohort of PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers, providing specialised training and industry experience while building Australia's long-term semiconductor capability.
By developing highly skilled chip designers and strengthening collaboration between universities and industry, the Centre aims to help position Australia to play a larger role in the technologies that will drive future economic growth and innovation.
ARC Chief Executive Officer Professor Ute Roessner said the investment would help build the partnerships, skills and technologies needed to support Australia's future prosperity.
'These new Research Hubs and Training Centres bring together Australia's leading researchers and industry partners to solve complex challenges and unlock new opportunities for industry and the economy', Professor Ute Roessner said.
Macquarie University is also a partner in the ARC Training Centre in Engineering Biology for Sustainable Materials, led by The Australian National University. The Centre includes a team of Macquarie researchers led by Professor Ian Paulsen and will focus on developing sustainable materials through engineering biology while supporting Australia's emerging bioeconomy.
