This post, rather, the content of this post, is of personal interest to me as I was witness to history being created in India recently. Last month, the Indian Microelectronics Academy (IMA) was formally given shape and was born! And, I was part of the meeting where this actually took place. The IMA is a brainchild of Cre8Ventures, which was launched by Mentor Graphics UK Ltd. back in 2005 as an independent network. Cre8Ventures has the aim to help start-up electronic design companies achieve business success. The IMA has been conceived and developed by Carson Bradbury, the mastermind behind the European Microelectronics Academy (EMA). A good friend, Carson is also the director of Cre8Ventures. On the IMA’s objective, he said: “It is to help enable a new breed of microelectronic companies that have the promise to become global by owning value chains. The strategy would be to establish new international communities whose tantalizing messages on the world stage is exploitation (US), execution (Asia) and innovation (Europe).” As for the areas of focus, he adds that it will be “wherever there is a big unmet business need and the opportunity to own a value chain through microelectronics.” According to him, the IMA will help start-ups get to momentum through the experience, trust and influence of the high profile individuals that represent the IMA’s executive team and the contribution from industrialists (e.g., EDA, foundry, IP, assembly and test, software and design services) who’s ‘take’ is first mover advantage and who’s ‘give’ is risk sharing business models (e.g. spin-out, spin-in, IP donation/extraction). He added that the IMA will then aim to take start-ups further down stream so when they get to Series A they will have triple-A board rooms, markets defined, early adopter customers an first product/silicon in place. I also happened to do a short presentation where I raised the topic of photonics and optoelectronics as possible areas that the IMA would do well to look at! During the course of my presentation, I was reminded of Gwangju, the sixth largest city in South Korea, and made it a point to mention it. I have since been wondering whether there is a way bridge the gap and connect the CUSAT and the IMA with quality suppliers in Gwangju so that a photonics ecosystem can be developed in India. Ideas welcome! For more info, please see: www.indianmicroelectronicsacademy.com Pradeep