Two MoUs Signed to Strengthen Semiconductor Research and Industry Collaboration
Two separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed between the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, the Center of Research Excellence in Semiconductor Technology (CREST), and Neural Semiconductor Limited (NSL), as well as between the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), CREST, and NSL.
The Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Alliance (BSIA) announced on Wednesday, February 25, that the agreements were signed under the chairmanship of Md. Anwar Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The signatories on behalf of their respective institutions were Dr. M. Moinul Islam, Chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission; Dr. Samina Ahmed, Chairman of the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research; M. A. Jabbar, President of the Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association and Managing Director of Neural Semiconductor Limited; and Professor Mostafa Hossain, Convener of CREST.
Speaking at the event, Science and Technology Secretary Md. Anwar Hossain highlighted the importance of the MoUs, expressing optimism that they would open new opportunities for research and development in the semiconductor industry through joint initiatives between the government, industry, and academia.
The Chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission stated that the Commission’s VLSI and related facilities, which are already established, will now be utilized more effectively by industry and academia through this collaboration. Dr. Samina Ahmed, Chairman of BCSIR, welcomed the partnership, describing it as an important step in expanding cooperation beyond limited institutional boundaries and strengthening engagement with industry and academia.
M. A. Jabbar, President of BSIA and Managing Director of Neural Semiconductor Limited, said the MoUs would make national research infrastructure more accessible and effective for semiconductor innovation. By integrating the facilities of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and BCSIR into the CREST-coordinated programs, industry and academia would be able to collaborate more productively, he added.
Among others present at the event were M. E. Chowdhury Shamim, Senior Vice President of BSIA; Munir Ahmed, Director of BSIA; Bidyut Chandra Aich, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology; and other senior officials from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, BCSIR, and the Ministry.
According to the agreement signed on Tuesday, February 24, at the conference room of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), a structured collaborative framework has been established to enable CREST-approved semiconductor research projects to conduct practical and experimental testing, fabrication and processing, characterization, and metrology using designated facilities of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. As a result, the Commission’s laboratories will be used as Shared National Research Infrastructure under the CREST ecosystem. The agreement also includes provisions for access to facilities by CREST-affiliated researchers, fellows, students, and faculty members; implementation of joint research projects; joint supervision of students for human resource development; and exploration of potential roadmaps for cleanroom revitalization and modernization. However, facility management and regulatory oversight will remain under the authority of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.
Under the separate MoU with BCSIR, CREST-approved projects will similarly be able to utilize BCSIR facilities for experimentation, characterization, and related semiconductor research and development activities. Consequently, BCSIR’s facilities will also be opened as shared infrastructure under the CREST-coordinated program.
The MoU prioritizes the implementation of joint research, ensuring access for researchers and students in compliance with safety and operational protocols, and human resource development through technical consultation and co-supervision by BCSIR scientists. As the sole sponsor of CREST, Neural Semiconductor Limited will provide financial and logistical support; however, it will not intervene in facility management or decisions related to security and access.
DBTech/HA/EK/OR
