SEMI announced that Audi has become the first automotive OEM to join SEMI. Audi is a founding member of the SEMI Global Automotive Advisory Council (GAAC). Anchoring the SEMI Smart Transportation vertical market platform, GAAC members address automotive technology issues such as device and system reliability and connectivity, promote industry standards, and align roadmaps of carmakers with adjacent industries to accelerate time to market. GAAC has chapters in Europe, the U.S., Japan and Taiwan.

“We are excited to welcome Audi to the SEMI family,” said Ajit Manocha, SEMI president and CEO. “Now we can support advances in automotive electronics innovation from sand to systems through stronger collaborations with our semiconductor equipment and materials members and SEMI Strategic Association Partners including the Electronic System Design (ESD) Alliance and MEMS & Sensors Industry Group.”

“With rapid advances in automotive electronics technology, semiconductors now play a critical role in innovation and product differentiation,” said Dr. Klaus Buettner, executive vice president Development Electrics/Electronics, CarIT, AUDI AG. “In order to fulfill the promise of sustainable, connected-to-everything, highly automated mobility up to autonomous driving, we need to also align automotive requirements across the entire semiconductor value chain. With its global platform, SEMI is the right association to bring together supply chain stakeholders for the close collaboration critical to driving technology innovation.”

Audi has been instrumental in establishing priorities for the Europe chapter, and helped grow the chapter to 17 companies, including OEMs, device manufacturers, foundries, design companies, and equipment and materials suppliers. Founding members of the GAAC Europe chapter include Audi, Volkswagen, Bosch, Cadence, imec, GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Synopsys.

For more information, visit www.semi.org.