ST forms manufacturing/ R&D group
A number of STMicroelectronics senior executives have decided to retire at the same time as its president and CEO, Pasquale Pistorio. As previously announced, Pistorio will leave his current position at ST after the company's annual general meeting in 2005. The semiconductor manufacturer has also announced product-group, front-end manufacturing and technology-related R&D organisational changes "to increase market focus". Carlo Bozotti has been designated to become president and CEO after Pistorio's departure. Alain Dutheil will take on the newly created position of chief operating officer (COO). Retiring from the Company will be Aldo Romano, corporate vice-president in charge of the Telecommunications, Peripherals, & Automotive (TPA) groups, and Salvatore Castorina, corporate vice-president in charge of the Discretes & Standard Circuits Group (DSG). Joel Monnier, corporate vice-president in charge of R&D, will "pursue some personal objectives early next year".
Effective January 1, 2005, a new Front-End Technology and Manufacturing organisation (FTM), encompassing the present front-end manufacturing and central R&D functions, will be created to reflect the growing interconnection of these two key functions for advanced microelectronics. This section will be under the direction of Laurent Bosson, corporate vice-president. The Telecom division of the TPA group will be merged with the Consumer division of the company's present Consumer and Microcontroller Groups (CMG).
Philippe Geyres will head this new product sector as corporate vice-president. The new Telecom and Consumer Sector (TCS) entity will account for more than one third of ST's annualised sales. The automotive applications from TPA and other product groups of the company will be consolidated in a new Automotive Products Group (APG) directed by Ugo Carena. Peripheral products will constitute a Computer Peripherals Group (CPG), run by Gianluca Bertino.
Renesas Technology has announced that it has reached an agreement to take over the SuperH CPU core licensing business of SuperH Inc (SHI), a joint venture company with ST. From the beginning of October, Renesas Technology and ST will develop future SuperH architecture-based CPU cores separately.
SHI was established in July 2001 as a joint venture company between Hitachi and ST to develop CPU cores from the SH-5 onward and to license the SH-4 and subsequent next-generation CPU cores. Since its formation, SHI has completed the SH-5 CPU core development. The company has also established close partnerships with third parties, such as software, tools, and SoC design companies, and foundry partnerships with UMC and TSMC. The company was transferred to Renesas Technology and ST after the formation of Renesas Technology in April 2003.
On October 1, 2004, Renesas Technology and ST will take over SHI's design assets and related development team. Renesas Technology will further strengthen its development structure for SuperH microprocessor cores by integrating the acquired assets into its microprocessor development division.
