Purdue among ‘most innovative’ companies
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Business publication Fast Company has released its list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, and one Indiana institution is among the top 50 even though it’s not even a company. Purdue University came in at No. 16, beating out other well-known brands such as NASA and The Walt Disney Co.
Fast Company named OpenAI, the developer of AI chatbot ChatGPT, its most innovative company in 2023.
Purdue is the only university on the list, and was recognized for its efforts to bolster the semiconductor workforce and conduct research of the future. It is the second year in a row that Purdue was named.
“We strive to be the most consequential public university in creating, disseminating and deploying knowledge in areas making the most significant difference in society,” said Purdue President Mung Chiang. “In particular, we will keep pushing the frontiers of semiconductors learning, research and industry partnership.”
Last summer, President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act that provides billions of dollars to technology companies to invest in domestic microelectronics production. However, the supply of U.S. semiconductor engineers to work at those plants is low.
“To help address this talent gap, Purdue University launched the country’s first interdisciplinary Semiconductor Degrees Program, offering undergraduate- and graduate-level training both in person and online,” wrote Fast Company.
The publication also noted Purdue’s partnership with Ivy Tech Community College to increase the number of associate degrees in technology fields.
The university says by 2027 the nation will need a minimum of 50,000 trained semiconductor engineers to meet an accelerating demand for the tiny electronic devices that are found in just about every modern device.
“Without chips today, it would be like living in the 1940s,” said Mark Lundstrom, senior advisor to the Purdue president and the university’s chief semiconductor officer. “Chips are the most sophisticated technology that human beings produce, and it takes a highly educated workforce to manufacture them. Purdue is responding with innovation and initiative to prepare the industry’s next generation.”
The publication also noted Purdue’s partnership with Taiwan-based company MediaTek to develop a microchip research and design facility, and with Minnesota-based SkyWater Technology to build a $1.8 billion manufacturing facility in West Lafayette.
Overall, the list acknowledges 540 organizations across 54 categories and regions around the world. Click here to access the list.