DARPA announced that the 2021 Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI) Summit & Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Symposium will be held virtually from October 19-21. Now in its fourth year, the Summit will once again bring together leaders from across the electronics ecosystem to showcase technical achievements from DARPA’s five-year, $1.5B investment in the advancement of the US semiconductor industry. This year’s event will also celebrate MTO’s 30th anniversary, recognizing the many contributions the office has made to the microsystems field throughout its history.
“This past year has highlighted the critical role microelectronics play in our daily lives and has made commercial industry and the defense community increasingly aware of their reliance on this enabling technology,” said Dr Mark Rosker, Office Director of MTO. “The 2021 ERI Summit & MTO Symposium will provide attendees with an opportunity to learn about recent ERI advancements and engage with the community, but also reflect on this pivotal moment and discuss what’s needed to chart a path forward with US competitiveness at the center.”
The 2021 event will spotlight technical progress made across ERI’s six major themes, which include: mitigating the skyrocketing costs of electronic design; overcoming security threats across the entire hardware lifecycle; accelerating innovation in AI hardware to make faster decisions at the edge; increasing information processing density and efficiency; overcoming the inherent throughput limits of 2D electronics; and revolutionizing communications in the 5G era and beyond. Attendees will hear from DARPA researchers as they present and demonstrate their technical progress as well as possible paths to transition for commercial and defense use.
The 2021 Summit will also provide insights into potential future research directions MTO plans to pursue, focused on continued investment in novel technologies to augment or supplant silicon CMOS as well as the creation of new efforts to support the development and advancement of microelectronics prototyping and on-shore manufacturing capabilities. “As the Initiative is in its fourth year, the question of ‘what’s next’ will undoubtedly be top of mind for many. We hope to use this time with the community to discuss our vision for the future and solicit input on new areas of exploration,” said Rosker.
In addition to presentations on ERI’s current accomplishments and future objectives, the 2021 Summit will feature keynote presentations from industry and defense leaders as well as potential transition partners. The current speaker line-up includes:
Similar to the 2020 event, DARPA will host informative poster sessions and technology demonstrations in an online, interactive exhibit hall. Attendees will have an opportunity to engage directly with DARPA program managers and researchers to discuss the efforts underway. Virtual workshops and an open networking venue will also foster an environment for idea sharing, discussions, and the formation of future program concepts and research efforts.
On Thursday, October 21, DARPA will also host the second annual MTO Symposium. This venue will provide attendees with an opportunity to hear about MTO programs not included in the ERI portfolio that explore critical capabilities relevant to national security and the larger microelectronics sector. During the Symposium, DARPA will share a video celebrating the office’s 30-year history. Attendees will hear DARPA alumni share their personal experiences supporting one of the agency’s longest-running offices.
To maximize the functionality of the virtual platform, registration will be capped at 3,000 attendees, with a potential cap of 50 attendees per organization. Early registration is strongly recommended. Registration will close on September 27, or once attendance capacity is met, whichever comes first. Registration fees are $25 per attendee. The virtual platform will only be available to registered attendees, and registration will not be available during the virtual event.
