Our plan is to develop an electronics program around a hi-tech park in any African nation that can engage us. We have conceived Microelectronics Training and Research Institute (MTRI) program to become a center of entrepreneurship and technology creation in Africa. It would be structured to have market impacts through training of students and participants on the most vital areas of microelectronics.

The following are some of the ways Fasmicro intends to offer immediate direction:

• Many African schools will join Fasmicro Microelectronics Academic Network. Through this network, they will join Cadence Academic Network. Cadence is the computer aided design (CAD) tool which more than 85% of global microelectronics institutions use. Cadence is used at IBM, Intel, HP, Motorola and other semiconductor/microelectronics firms. Also, Cadence has expressed written interests in supporting MTRI. Tanner, another CAD vendor, has also expressed interest in helping any MTRI in Africa.
• We will help African schools to join Europractice- this gives MTRI opportunities to collaborate with other research centers in Europe for process parameters and toolkits.. This is the most important step towards our vision of developing a world-class microelectronics institute.
• Fasmicro will help bring best minds from the US and European semiconductor industry to serve as External Advisory Board of MTRI to enable the evolution of this institute to a world class status.
• MTRI will be structured with world-class teaching and learning facilities for microelectronics education. It will obtain other relevant computer aided design (CAD) tools, test and measurement tools, computing systems, etc.
• MTRI will develop new processes and systems which will be suitable for quality and practical microelectronics education. This will involve developing computer simulation models, system development platforms, and microelectronics process cycles. This proposal is not focusing on creating infrastructure, rather, to develop better systems and processes. Our present masters and doctorate programs in electrical and electronics engineering will have options for microelectronics. Also, our undergraduate education would be strengthened by this program.
• Foreign university partners will lead in developing the most relevant programs for students and participants from the industry. These programs will be designed to have the most positive impacts in diffusing the technology as well as shaping the Africa’s microelectronics future. It is our knowledge that one of the key factors affecting the location and localization of some high-tech firms in Africa remains the poor state of the knowledge workers, especially the engineering components, which MTRI will address. MTRI is poised to elevate the knowledge base of our students and make them 21^st century ready.
• International partners will have a complete educational package-policy, regulation, legislation, management, leadership, technology, etc. They will bring their real-life, hands-on and first-rate training skills to help develop our MTRI programs. MTRI will utilize its ‘Hear it, See it, Touch it and Do it’ educational paradigm.
• MTRI, being unique, will be open to other African schools and institutions (not funded). This will enable them use the tools and learning environments for short term programs. It will also help their students get the experiences and skills necessary from our in-house team. However, they would be required to make payments.
• MTRI will engage the SME (small and medium enterprises). We understand that SME remains a key part of the success of the Africa’s ICT diffusion through their business-center model. Through cutting-edge conferences, seminars and workshops, MTRI will help them envision opportunities in this emerging area. Providing direction and leadership, MTRI will help them leverage the opportunities to provide some customized programs which will help in faster impacts in this area.
• MTRI will work with university’s Technology Transfer (TT) office to ensure that we work on researches which are relevant for the market. Also the TT office will help us license and commercialize some of our inventions and ideas. This will be a central part of our program as we want to develop students who are ready to create technology tools for Africa’s market. Our students will be required to work on market oriented researches.
• Provide linkage to secondary schools to stimulate their students’ interests in science and technology as well as offer them mentoring opportunities in forms of summer works and internships. We would open opportunities to ensure that high and secondary schools in Africa are mentored.