The Semiconductor Bureau helping Australia establish its own identity in the global microchip space
The new Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau (S3B) is allowing NSW to carve out its own microchip space in the world, with sovereign capabilities and increased participation in the global supply chain.
A semiconductor chip during a die bonding process. Credit: S3B
When the Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau (S3B) officially launched in August, it heralded the start of a long-term vision for the Australian microchip industry to promote the strengths of the domestic market in research and design.
Semiconductors – otherwise known as a microchips or integrated circuit chips - are the DNA of modern technology.
These integrated circuits form the brain of almost every modern-day device and perform functions like computation for drug formulation through to reading in and interpreting signals from sensors.
While the technology is incredibly important, the last 40 years has seen the global semiconductor production sector dominated by Taiwan and Singapore.
In comparison, the Australian semiconductor sector is relatively small, but there is opportunity for Australian researchers, start-ups and businesses to contribute to the local growth of the sector and respond to increasing global demand and investment.
The not-for-profit S3B organisation, which formed last year, aims to promote Australia’s potential in the industry, by supporting and growing the semiconductor sector throughout the supply chain from research and design all the way through to end-user applications and devices.
S3B hopes to generate growth in the Australian industry by expanding the semiconductor network, and by providing market intelligence, training and talent programs, and brokerage services.
S3B Director Dr Nadia Court. Credit: Supplied
S3B Director Dr Nadia Court says the start-up wants to enhance the capability, workforce, market connectedness and competitiveness of the NSW and Australian semiconductor sector and to support critical industries including health, defence and telecommunications.
“Our community is already starting make an impact with tangible outcomes towards expanding local expertise,” she says.
“In May, a microcredential on digital microelectronics launched in partnership between Cadence and University of Sydney with two further modules commencing in October.
“We are also actively exploring collaborations to support ecosystem development and inform sector requirements around capabilities to be established in the Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility in Western Sydney.
“This will enable us to deliver on our mission to stimulate innovation and growth of a local-high-tech ecosystem and support companies to include more home-grown content in their products.”
Similar to the NSW Smart Sensing Network (NSSN), S3B is funded by the NSW Government through the Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer.
It is a joint venture between the University of Sydney, Macquarie University and UNSW Sydney as well as the CSIRO and The Australian National Fabrication Facility.
Both the NSSN and S3B share an ambition to drive innovation and sector development in Australia, positioning NSW as a global leader in tech.
“S3B was formed to reshape the future of the Australian semiconductor sector and reignite its untapped potential,” Dr Court says.
“Our vision is to create a connected and collaborative semiconductor ecosystem that fosters the growth of a local talent pool, fuels sector growth, and enables companies with innovative products and services to compete globally.”
(From L-R) NSW Smart Sensing Network Co-Director Professor Ben Eggleton, S3B Board Chair David Skellern, S3B Director Dr Nadia Court and Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley at the S3B launch in August.
The idea for the establishment of the S3B start-up stemmed from a conversation between NSW Smart Sensing Network Co-Director Professor Ben Eggleton and the former Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Matt Kean five years ago.
Professor Eggleton, who was director of the Sydney Nano Institute at the University of Sydney at the time, proposed to the Minister a scoping exercise into the Australian Semiconductor Sector.
This was taken up by the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, Prof Hugh Durrant-Whyte who sponsored the scoping study that was led by the then Sydney Nano Deputy Director, Prof James Rabeau.
“The outcome of the exercise was while Australia’s semiconductor sector was relatively small compared to some other economies, it was not without areas of strength and strategic significance,” Professor Eggleton says.
“With a long-term view and commitment, there was potential for NSW and Australia to increase their participation in the global semiconductor value chain.”
The exercise suggested that small steps aligned with a long-term vision for the Australian semiconductor industry would create new capability, talent pools, businesses, and new options that all may make significant impacts on a 10 or 15-year horizon.
S3B recently signed an MOU with Belgian based organisation EUROPRACTICE / imec.IC-link to access brokerage and prototyping services.
This is in addition to an MOU signed earlier in 2023 with Canada’s leading hardware technology facilitator and accelerator, CMC Microsystems, to promote future collaboration and initiatives to support the semiconductor industry in Australia and Canada.
Sensing and semiconductors are intrinsically linked and rely on one another for continuous innovation.
With a shared vision to make NSW a leader in tech innovation, the NSSN and S3B are working collaboratively to drive new opportunities.
For further information about S3B or to get involved, please contact info@s3b.au or NSSN BDM Laura Earl on laura.earl@nssn.org.au.