BRIDG Monthly Newsletter | August 2018
FROM THE CEO
Chester Kennedy Headshot
As BRIDG continues to build capabilities, I remain impressed with the quality and resourcefulness of our team. Few people realize that such a high level of technical talent exists right here in Central Florida. However, as more and more people make that discovery, I have found that I am not alone in my admiration of the other half of the Orlando region. I am proud to have the BRIDG team be a shining example of that discovery, as evident when we pr ocessed our first lots of wafers over the past month. Alongside every “startup” challenge faced came numerous real-world solutions that allowed progress to continue.

Another major milestone in our journey came when we were granted facility clearance. While it is an honor to earn this level of trust from the U.S. government, it adds complexities in terms of access to our facility. As many know, we love to show off this amazing infrastructure. However, the industry standard safety procedures and government regulations require that we implement additional mandatory procedures regarding access to the facility, including escorted visits and tours. We still welcome visitors and will continue hosting community events, but we are required by federal regulations to incorporate extra lead-time into the visit planning. We ask for your understanding and appreciation for these requirements as they will be essential as BRIDG continues to earn the trust of our customers.

And finally, I am always excited to see the activity happening around our facility at NeoCity. NeoCity is growing! The new Class A office space went vertical earlier this month. Be sure to check out the latest video from Osceola County documenting the work on the building.

Come join us as we create tomorrow here today in NeoCity!

Chester Kennedy
CEO
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Reaching More Milestones
BRIDG achieved new major milestones this month with the near completion of the tools installation in the cleanrooms: processing our first few lots of wafers and receiving our facility clearance from the U.S. Defense Security Service.

The first few lots were started to test the process integration and qualify processes. This was a critical step as we work towards functionality in anticipation of processing customer wafers. From these lots of wafers, we will be able to identify the areas in our initial process that require minor adjustments. The BRIDG team is now developing processes and new integration schemes for device wafers to qualify device technology. This will be the first technology being transformed from a university laboratory into a manufacturing environment.   

As a result of reaching these key milestones, BRIDG has instituted necessary access control requirements in accordance with various federal regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the National Industrial Security Program (NISP). This will permit the handling of classified information onsite and establishing classified communications capability for discussions with federal agencies. 
BRIDG ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Ankush Oberai
Ankush Oberai is an American high-tech entrepreneur born in Mumbai, India. In 1989, he co-founded Knights Technology, a supplier of process management tools for the semiconductor industry. Knights Technology has subsequently been sold four times. He is currently senior director at Synopsys Inc. Oberai holds several patents in IC design and Fab Yield related. After graduating from the University of Central Florida (UCF) in 1983, Oberai began his career at NCA/Silvar-Lisco in Bay Area Silicon Valley as a chip design engineer, quickly moving up to Senior Director of Engineering, Sales, and Marketing.
 
Oberai currently serves on the advisory boards of Pranalytica Inc, the UCF Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and the Technology Advisory Board for BRIDG. Oberai has presented at many conferences worldwide and written technical papers and journals. He is known worldwide in the fab and design community and is held in high regards for his technical and business knowledge.  
RECENT EVENTS / OTHER NEWS
IMAPS Florida
Earlier this month, BRIDG and FloridaMakes co-hosted the International Microelectronics, Assembly and Packaging Society (IMAPS) - Florida Chapter Advanced Technical Workshop and Tabletops entitled Smart Sensors, Research, Manufacturing and IoT Applications. The workshop and tabletop exhibition enabled discussion and presentations on the latest semiconductor-based design, process and materials for smart sensor and photonic technologies. Students were invited to participate in the IMAPS Florida student poster session. Please join us in congratulating the following winners of the session: Nileshi Saraf, Craig Neal, and Maxence Carvalho. 
Upcoming Events
Florida Simulation Summit - September 6, 2018
Hosted by Orange County Mayor Theresa Jacobs and the National Center for Simulation at the Orange County Convention Center, the Florida Simulation Summit will focus on Digital Twin Technology and Internet of Things. BRIDG CEO, Chester Kennedy, will be moderating the “Industrial Revolution 4.0” panel at the summit. For details or to purchase tickets, click here.
Silicon Summit East - October 8, 2018
BRIDG will be exhibiting at the Global Semiconductor Alliance’s Silicon Summit East, where technology and business leaders as well as leaders from research institutions will convene for a full day of discussions and thought exchange on topics ranging from advanced materials and devices to new chip/system architectures to innovative business models. BRIDG CEO, Chester Kennedy, will be participating as a member of the “Semis Matter - Building a Research Based Innovation Pipeline and Ecosystem” panel.
  BRIDG is located at NeoCity in Osceola County, Florida.