Alliances
The collaboration is intended to help the start-ups transition along their product value chain for system-on-chip product development and integration, as well as manage the supply chain to enable design-through-manufacturing success.
The engineering support and customer service centres will give access to Chartered's process and design-enablement solutions - such as design rules, electrical test specifications, spice models, technology files, libraries, silicon-validated IP and process design kits. In addition, startups will be able to use Chartered's multiple-project wafer (MPW) programme for product prototyping.
Several start-ups in China have already successfully migrated from chip design to production using Chartered's processes down to 0.18micron, paving the way for product commercialisation. There are also a growing number of customer product tape-outs running on Chartered's MPW prototyping programme as a result of this network.
Renesas Technology and NTT DoCoMo are to jointly develop a single-chip large-scale integration (LSI) for dual-mode wireless handsets for third-generation W-CDMA and second-generation GSM/GPRS. The companies also plan to promote NTT DoCoMo's Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access (FOMA) services.
The two companies will combine W-CDMA technology developed by NTT DoCoMo with Renesas' LSI fabrication, multimedia application processor and GSM/GPRS technologies, to achieve a single-chip implementation of a baseband LSI and SH-Mobile application processor for dual-mode handsets.
A product is to be ready in the first half of fiscal 2006. Renesas will collaborate with NTT DoCoMo to offer handset manufacturers a platform based on the new LSI. Renesas also plans to provide this single-chip LSI for the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) market. UMTS is the 3G mobile telecom system used in Europe, compliant with IMT-2000 and a maximum baud rate of 2Mbits per second (Mbps). NTT DoCoMo has previously announced joint work with Texas Instruments to develop a multi-mode UMTS (W-CDMA/GSM/GPRS) chipset for the global 3G handset market (Bulletin 542, July 14, 2004).
The European Union and the State of Israel have reached final approval and agreement on Europe's GALILEO satellite radio navigation programme.
The agreement provides for co-operative activities on satellite navigation and timing in a wide range of sectors, notably science and technology, industrial manufacturing, service and market development, as well as standardisation, frequencies and certification. Israel is also invited to take part in the programme financially through a stake holding in the GALILEO Joint Undertaking, the body managing the programme. The GALILEO Joint Undertaking will immediately start discussions with Israel so that these activities can start as soon as possible.
The deal comes on top of agreements between the EU, the People's Republic of China and the USA. The project could possibly result in 3bn receivers, revenues of some EUR250bn per year by 2010 and the creation of more than 150,000 highly qualified jobs in Europe alone. By the end of this year, the Commission is expected to sign further agreements with the Russian Federation on the compatibility between the GALILEO and GLONASS systems, and with other countries such as India, Ukraine, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and Australia. The GALILEO programme will be administered and controlled by civilians and offers a guarantee of quality and continuity which is essential for many applications.
Nantero and BAE Systems are to jointly evaluate the potential to develop carbon nanotube-based electronic devices for use in advanced defence and aerospace systems. The project will involve research and development of a variety of next-generation electronic devices that can be built using the unique properties of carbon nanotubes and using Nantero's proprietary methods and processes for the design and manufacture of nanotube-based electronics. Nantero says that its proprietary processes for the use of carbon nanotubes are CMOS-compatible, allowing the development to be carried out in BAE Systems' semiconductor fabrication facilities in Manassas, Virginia.
