Texas Instruments to fund IISc research projects
Bangalore : Global semiconductor and computer technology giant Texas Instruments Inc (TI) has chosen the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) as the first university outside the US for its research projects, with a seed fund of $400,000 over the next five years.
The premier institute will be TI's fourth top leadership university to undertake research projects in digital signal processing (DSP), analog, wireless communications, industrial controls and medical electronics.
TI already has similar research tie-ups with US-based universities - Georgia Tech, Rice University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the areas of its domain expertise.
"We have selected IISc as a leadership university based on its innovation and research leadership, in-depth knowledge of technology, deep understanding of the industry needs and focus on technologies such as wireless, consumer, medical and industrial applications," TI president and CEO Richard K. Templeton told reporters here Monday.
The latest programme is an extension of the existing research partnership between TI and IISc that began in 1996. The new level of association will give IISc faculty and students access to TI's technology, its research teams worldwide and an opportunity to work with the three leadership universities on future programmes, funded by the US-based firm.
"About 20 faculty and 150 students will be working on the various research projects. Joining the TI leadership programme will sharpen our ability and put India on the global knowledge map. We look forward to sharing our ideas through collaborative research and develop innovative technologies under this programme," IISc associate director N. Balakrishnan said.
The programme will be undertaken as an open-ended research, specific ideas involving silicon technology for TI products under NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and consultancy work for the industry, including customers (vendors) and consumers.
"Wherever IP (intellectual property) rights are involved, the agreement is to transfer them to TI in case of specific research projects. There will be a separate agreement on royalty under financial terms agreed upon," Balakrishnan pointed out.
Some of the projects will deal with industrial specific applications (sensors) to make motors quieter, components that consume less power but give higher performance and low-power CMOS for computers.
"We will also explore the prospects of applying DSP in agriculture, healthcare, conservation and other verticals for mass applications benefiting people. At the high-end, the programme will take up chip projects for enhancing performance in wireless communications with speeds in giga hertz (GHz)," TI India managing director Biswadip Mitra said.
Lauding the talent pool at the IISc, Templeton said India was recognised for its progress and higher education research programmes to sustain intellectual credibility and advancement of the industry.
"The higher education in engineering and science in institutions such as the IISc provides critical skills to transform the lives of millions through innovation and discovery. Our objective in joining with IISc is to enable its engineers to use electronics innovation to enrich lives," Templeton added.
