“Unlocked,” a national integrated circuit (IC) design competition, recently crowned its winners and honored industry pioneers.
The event, hosted by Xinyx Design, and held at the Tanghalang Haribon in Insular Life Corporate Center, Alabang, brought together the brightest undergraduate engineering minds from universities across the Philippines.
Diosdado “Dado” Banatao and Dr. Teresita Fortuna were also recognized for their lifetime contributions to the semiconductor industry.
Homegrown innovations
The event, with the theme “From Problems to Possibilities: Building Tomorrow’s Cities Today” emphasized the capability of homegrown innovation to address urban challenges and drive the future of the high-technology industry.
The keynote speaker was newly appointed Education Undersecretary Peter Irving Corvera who represented Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.
In his address, Corvera said, “In education, it is essential that we integrate technology into our basic education system. We must ensure that our learners have access to digital tools and resources, no matter where they are, to fully equip them for the future.”
Corvera also emphasized the need for sustained collaboration between the government, industry, and educational institutions to build a robust talent pipeline.
Unlocked champions
Named 2024 Champion in the Unlocked Innovation Challenge was the Technological University of the Philippines (Manila) for their entry “LiverScan+: An Automated Detection and Diagnosis of Focal Liver Lesions through AutoML-Based Triphasic Contrast-Enhanced CT Image Analysis Using Jetson Nano”.
The proposal won P70,000 for the five students who worked on it.
First runner-up was Colegio de Muntinlupa for their “Texto: Real-Time Audio-Visual Speech Recognition and Transcription using Multimodal Deep Learning Algorithm for the Hearing Impaired’’ entry, which won P20,000. Second runner-up and winning P10,000 was the Pamantasan Lungsod ng Maynila for their “Unmanned Amphibious Robot in Aiding Post-Typhoon Heavy Flooding Response Using LoRa-based Communication and YOLOv5’’ entry.
In the IC Design Olympics competition which had different sets of participants, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) was named the 2024 Overall Champion, securing victories in two categories: Custom Layout and Digital Design. The Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) Manila claimed the top spot in the Analog Circuit Design category.
Beyond the competition: A national call to action
More than just a platform for students to display their talents, Unlocked 2024 is part of Xinyx’s broader mission to address the national engineering gap and encourage more young Filipinos to pursue careers in microelectronics and IC design.
The Philippines faces a looming shortage of 128,000 semiconductor professionals by 2028—a goal that Xinyx, along with industry partners, is committed to supporting through initiatives like Unlocked.
“Unlocked is a national call to action,” said Charade Avondo, President of Xinyx Design. “We designed this competition not only to identify top talent but also to create a sustainable ecosystem where students, industry leaders, and educators can collaborate to close the talent gap and ensure the Philippines remains competitive in the global semiconductor market.”
Recognizing excellence and collaboration
In addition to the competition, Unlocked 2024 featured a variety of activities that underscored the collaboration needed between industry, academia, and government to secure the future of the semiconductor industry. These included panel discussions, the IC Design Olympics, and an exhibition showcasing the work of last year’s finalists.
One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of the prestigious Philippine IC Design Award to Diosdado “Dado” Banatao and Dr. Teresita Fortuna for their contributions to the advancement of semiconductor innovation and education in the country.
Banatao, a technopreneur and Silicon Valley pioneer, revolutionized personal computing by developing the first PC chipset and graphics accelerator chip, innovations that laid the groundwork for modern microprocessors and computers.
Through his venture capital firm and initiatives in the Philippines, he has consistently supported Filipino startups and young engineers, fostering an environment where technology and talent can thrive.
Fortuna has been a driving force in microelectronics education in the Philippines. As the former Regional Director of DOST-NCR and the current College Administrator of Colegio de Muntinlupa (CDM), she has championed the integration of IC design and microelectronics into the engineering curricula, leading efforts to develop state-of-the-art facilities at CDM.
Her initiatives have enabled students to access cutting-edge EDA (Electronic Design Automation) tools and brought together industry, government, and academia through the creation of the Muntinlupa Innovation and Design (MIND) Hub, a facility designed to maximize educational resources for microelectronics and drive innovation.
Government support and call for action
While Unlocked seeks to bridge the gap between academia and industry, a whole-of-nation approach is crucial for achieving the Philippines’ semiconductor goals.
Xinyx Design called on the government to reinforce the efforts of industry and academia by implementing policies that support workforce development, research funding, and talent retention.
Avondo commented: “Additionally, the government can play a more active role in promoting Electronics Engineering as a viable and attractive career path. By investing in the marketing and promotion of this field as early as the grade school level and beyond, the Philippines can position itself as a global hub for semiconductor talent, driving innovation and making a lasting impact on global society.”
Further, the creation of a Philippine Institute of Microelectronics, modeled after Taiwan’s successful rise as a leader in the semiconductor world, would serve as a national center for advanced research, training, and industry collaboration, ensuring the Philippines remains competitive on the global stage.”
For more information, visit Xynix at https://www.xinyxdesign.com /or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/xinyxdesign/.
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VIDEO BY FRANCIS DIMATULAC.
