The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced Natcast CEO Deirdre Hanford will be the keynote presenter at the 2024 SIA Awards Dinner this Thursday, Nov. 21 in San Jose, CA.
Natcast is the non-profit entity operating the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), a public-private consortium established by the CHIPS and Science Act. The NSTC convenes industry, academia, and government from across the semiconductor ecosystem to address the most challenging barriers to continued technological progress in the domestic semiconductor industry, including the need for a skilled workforce. Hanford will offer perspectives on the future of this landmark initiative and the importance of government-industry collaboration in driving semiconductor research and innovation for years to come.
“Deirdre is a top expert on semiconductor technology and plays a critical role in advancing U.S. semiconductor R&D that will strengthen America’s economy, national security, and global competitiveness,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “We very much look forward to hearing from her about the future of chip innovation and how U.S. leadership in this area will continue to drive advancements across the game-changing technologies of today and tomorrow.”
Hanford was appointed CEO and Trustee of Natcast in January 2024. Prior to Natcast, Hanford served as an executive at Synopsys, a technology and market leader in electronic design automation and semiconductor design intellectual property. Over the span of 36 years, Hanford’s roles included being Chief Security Officer, Co-General Manager of the Synopsys Design Group, and leader of a variety of customer engagement, applications engineering, sales and marketing groups.
Well known within the semiconductor ecosystem, Hanford has served on many industry advisory boards, including being a leader in the Department of Commerce Industrial Advisory Committee formed through the CHIPS Act. Hanford earned a B.S. Engineering (electrical engineering) from Brown University and an M.S.E.E. from University of California, Berkeley.
The 2024 SIA Awards Dinner also will feature the presentation of the semiconductor industry’s highest honor, the Robert N. Noyce Award, to Aart de Geus, Synopsys executive chair and founder. The Noyce Award is named in honor of semiconductor industry pioneer Robert N. Noyce, co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel.
