What to expect and who will be there at the second edition of Silicon River's BEAR Summit

A microscopic silicon chip drives the heartbeat of modern technology worldwide, and Bangladesh is no longer content remaining a passive spectator. Rallying behind the mantra "New Dawn. New Possibilities. Limitless Future," the nation's vibrant youth are actively shaping a global semiconductor ecosystem. Organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology in partnership with the Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association (BSIA) and the Silicon River Initiative, the National Semiconductor Symposium- BEAR Summit 202- serves as a flagship platform bridging Biotech, Electronics, AI, and Robotics.

The journey kicks off on Friday afternoon, July 24, with an Extended Pre-Summit Program at United International University (UIU). Running from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the UIU campus, the gathering brings together global innovators and academicians. Following introductory remarks by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Hussain, Chief Architect of Silicon River and BEAR, attendees will hear from industry titans during two Plenary Talks featuring Dr. Ahmed Bahai, Chief Technology Officer at Texas Instruments, and Dr. Dimitrios Peroulis, Senior Vice President at Purdue University.

Keynote lectures follow from Bich-Yen Thi Tran, Chairwoman of VSPA, and Jayavel Pachamuthu, Distinguished Engineer at SanDisk. The schedule also features high-impact 5-minute Lightning Talks delivered by prominent technology leaders, including Anisul Khan (former VP, Applied Materials), Shatil Haque (Associate VP, CREDO), Prof. Terry Lynn Alford (Arizona State University), Sayeed Badrudduza (Director of R&D, NXP Semiconductors), and M Ziaul Karim (CTO, YES). The pre-event concludes with an interactive Q&A session connecting CREST fellows and students directly with industry experts, followed by an evening networking session.

The formal inauguration of the main summit takes place on Saturday morning, July 25, at the Novotheater in Bijoy Sarani, Dhaka, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Special guests include Fakir Mahbub Anam, Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, ICT, and Science & Technology, alongside Rehan Asif Asad, Advisor to the Prime Minister. Welcome remarks will be delivered by Science and Technology Secretary Md. Anwar Hossain, with keynotes from Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Hussain and BSIA President M. A. Jabbar.

Outlining the ministry's strategic vision, Science and Technology Secretary Md. Anwar Hossain introduced the framework "Science to Economy: Building a Market-Linked, Innovation-Driven Bangladesh". This initiative rests on four pillars: nurturing talent from the primary level via Science Olympiads, converting research into market-ready products (R2M), launching the inaugural 'Bangladesh National Innovation Fair 2026' alongside a Virtual Hi-Tech Science City (I2M), and enhancing national capacities in frontier technologies like semiconductor design, AI, and robotics. Plans are also underway to establish a National AI Institute connecting government, industry, and academia.

Stress was laid by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Hussain on accelerating the semiconductor policy enacted a year ago. He emphasized that Silicon River represents an enduring national vision rather than an individual idea. As the global semiconductor supply chain bifurcates, Bangladesh aims to position itself as a technology-neutral, reliable global hub.

Across July 25 and 26, the Novotheater will host 11 Plenary Sessions and 7 Strategic Panels detailing key sector dimensions:

• Session 1 (July 25, 3:30 PM): ‘Bangladesh Semiconductor and STEM Talent Force Development Strategy’ moderated by Prof. Khan Arif Wahid (Univ. of Saskatchewan). Panelists include Dr. Md. Mahadi Amin (Advisor to the PM), Md. Shakhawat Hossain (CEO, Neural Semiconductor), Istak Ahamed (CEO, Prime Silicon), Prof. Dr. Md. Mamun Bin Reaz (VC, IUT), Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Hussain, and Prof. Terry Lynn Alford (ASU).

• Session 2 (July 25, 4:30 PM): ‘Building Bangladesh’s Semiconductor Ecosystem’ moderated by Dr. Mahbub Rashed (VP, GlobalFoundries). Panelists include Mohammed Walid Hossain (Additional Secretary, SICP), Enayetur Rahman (CEO, Ulkasemi), Dr. M. Rezwan Khan (Former VC, UIU), Sayeed Badrudduza (NXP), and Bich-Yen Nguyen (Chairwoman, Vietnam Semiconductor Association).

• Session 3 (July 25, 5:30 PM): ‘Global Semiconductor Industry Leadership Dialogue’ moderated by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Hussain. Panelists include M A Jabbar (MD, Neural Semiconductor), Munir Ahmed (Director, iTest Bangladesh), Enayetur Rahman (Ulkasemi), and Dr. Ahmed Bahai (CTO, Texas Instruments).

• Session 4 (July 26, 10:00 AM): ‘International Partnership Forum’ moderated by Shatil Haque (CREDO). Speakers include Ahsan Chowdhury (L&T Semiconductor), Christopher Grunewald (Cactus Materials), M E Chowdhury Shameem (Managing Director, Siliconova), Prof. Dr. Hasan Uz Zaman (BRAC University), Dr. Anisul Khan, and Prof. Dimitrios Peroulis.

• Session 5 (July 26, 11:00 AM): ‘Research to Market: Preparing Bangladesh for Future Industries’ moderated by Sayeed Badrudduza. Panelists feature Md. Tariq Hassan (First Secretary, NBR), Munir Ahmed (iTest), Ashiqur Tanim (CEO, THINK LABS), Prof. Dr. Md. Shafiul Alam (Dhaka University), Dr. Mahbub Rashed (GlobalFoundries), and Le Hoang Phuc (Vietnam Semiconductor Association).

• Session 6 (July 26, 1:00 PM): ‘Global Leadership and Diaspora Forum: Knowledge Transfer and Sharing’ featuring keynote speaker M. Ziaul Karim (YES). Moderated by Dr. Anisul Khan, panelists include Sadman Rahman (Ministry of Commerce), Kamrul Ahsan Dewanjee (BRAINGAIN), and Prof. Abdul Hannan Chowdhury (VC, North South University).

• Session 7 (July 26, 2:15 PM): ‘Entrepreneurship and Deep-Tech Startups’ co-moderated by Md. Tareq Khan (Prime Silicon) and Syed Muneer (iTest). Panelists feature Tanveer Ali (Startup Bangladesh Ltd.), Sirajul Islam Khan (Test Bangladesh), Prof. M. Nadim Chowdhury (BUET), Shatil Haque (CREDO), and Jayavel Pachamuthu (SanDisk).

Beyond panel discussions, the summit highlights the 'CREST Fellows Research Symposium'. Driven by 93 Campus Ambassadors across 40+ universities, thousands of student registrants, and top innovators from AI application contests, 10 selected 'CREST Fellows' will present research across 10 domains: Advanced Chips, AI Hardware, 3D Integration, Photonics, Bioelectronics, Power Electronics, Robotics, Data Science, and Advanced Materials.

At the venue's exhibition hall, 13 premier Bangladeshi firms out of 19 operating across Biotech, Electronics, AI, and Robotics will display cutting-edge innovations and chip designs. Participating companies include ACI Semiconductor, Balu Technologies, Dynamic Solution Innovators, iTest Bangladesh, Mars Solutions, Metro Scientific, Neural Semiconductor, Prime Silicon, Siliconova, Tafuri Technologies, Tahoe Pvt Ltd, Think Global, and Ulkasemi Private Limited.

Supported by energetic youth and an empowered global diaspora, Bangladesh stands at the threshold of a technological transformation. As the summit concludes on July 26 with the official declaration and policy recommendations, a new chapter unfolds for the nation's deep-tech future.