Applied Materials India Launches ASCENT Initiative For Semiconductor Innovation

Applied Materials India, a subsidiary of Applied Materials, Inc., the global leader in materials engineering solutions for the semiconductor industry, has launched a new initiative to foster innovation and education in semiconductor equipment. The “Applied Semiconductor Collaboration in Engineering and Technology Initiative (ASCENT)”, will be an annual event that invites researchers from selected universities to collaborate with Applied India engineers and develop differentiated technologies in various research areas. The initiative is designed to accelerate innovative solutions to the semiconductor equipment industry's toughest technical challenges. For the 2024 edition, Applied Materials India has selected three institutes, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur; Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad and Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, after assessing numerous proposals from top universities and institutes across India.

ASCENT is aimed at enhancing innovation across seven areas of research, Power, Materials, Chemical Delivery, Sensors, Vacuum Components, Automation and Sustainability. In addition to sponsoring advanced research in these seven areas, Applied Materials will give researchers access to state-of-the-art equipment and labs for solution validation, under the mentorship of Applied’s engineers.  

Over the past two decades, Applied Materials India has been working with leading academic institutions, including IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Patna, IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore, IIT Ropar and IIT Hyderabad to accelerate research, drive innovation, develop a skilled workforce and recruit diverse talent.