SILICON NEXUS [February 2026]

• CREST, BITS Pilani, received the Technovation Award 2026 (Skilling – University category).

• The award was presented at Vision Summit 2026 organized by the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association in Bengaluru (25–26 February 2026).

• Recognized for contributions to semiconductor skilling through structured training and hands-on cleanroom exposure.

• Strengthened academia–industry collaboration with measurable outcomes.

• Grateful to faculty, industry partners, students, and leadership for their support.

• The IEEE Sensors Council Hyderabad Chapter organized a two-day Winter School on Printed Sensors (Jan 30–31, 2026) at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, with CREST as a key supporting partner.
  
  

• Around 100 participants attended, with expert talks from academia, industry, DRDO, ISRO, and IEEE leaders.
  
  

• Hands-on lab sessions on graphene, microfluidics, additive manufacturing, and wearable sensors were a major highlight.

• B.E. students from BITS Pilani visited Micron Technology as part of an industry–academia engagement initiative supported by CREST.

• The visit provided valuable insights into advanced semiconductor manufacturing, memory technologies, and cleanroom operations.

• Students interacted with industry experts and gained exposure to real-world processes, quality standards, and career pathways in the semiconductor sector.

• The visit strengthened practical understanding and reinforced the importance of industry collaboration in semiconductor skilling.

CREST hosted the 25th edition of the Monthly Colloquium Series (February'26)

🎙️ Keynote Speaker: Prof. Jesús A. del Alamo, Donner Professor of Science, Electrical Engineering at MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

• Prof. Patrick Fay’s primary research interests focus on: 

  1. Advanced semiconductor devices and materials (Si, SiGe, III–V, GaN, diamond)

  2. High-speed and high-frequency transistors for logic, THz, and RF power applications

  3. Carrier transport physics in nanoscale devices

  4. Emerging device technologies for neuromorphic computing
     
     

🧠 Talk Title: New Devices for Analog Deep Learning

• Facilitated by Prof Rajendra Srivastava (former Dean, ISB; Novartis Professor of Marketing; and Executive Director, CBI)

• Closed-door, peer-led, and experience-based, using India as a learning context to reflect on technology & process innovation in private healthcare

CREST in collaboration with IMAPS and IDSPS, has concluded its PDC on Introduction to Semiconductor Legacy & Advanced Packaging.