Meet Ajit
Hear his vision for SEMI to inspire greater connection, collaboration and innovation across the microelectronics industry
Ajit Manocha is the president and CEO of SEMI, the global industry association serving the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing and design supply chain. Throughout his career, Manocha has been a champion of industry collaboration as a critical means of advancing technology for societal and economic prosperity.
Manocha was formerly CEO at GlobalFoundries. Prior to this, he held the role of Executive VP of worldwide operations at Spansion and earlier served as Executive VP and chief manufacturing officer (chief operations officer) at Philips/NXP Semiconductors. He began his career at AT&T Bell Laboratories as a research scientist and was granted more than a dozen patents related to semiconductor manufacturing processes that served as the foundation for modern microelectronics manufacturing. He has served on the boards of SEMI, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and Global Semiconductor Association (GSA).
Manocha has overseen the formation of more than 20 joint ventures and M&As over his career. Out of these, some of the most noteworthy are the manufacturing JV between AT&T and Cirrus Logic, the foundry JV SSMC between Philips Semiconductors and TSMC, the back-end JV Suzhou ASEN Semiconductors between Philips Semiconductors and ASE, and the spinoff of Philips Semiconductors (now NXP Semiconductors) from Royal Philips Electronics.
Today, there is a much broader scope for SEMI to help foster collaboration and fuel growth than we could have ever imagined at its inception in 1970. This scope has to be accomplished without compromising the strong foundation of SEMI – the equipment suppliers and materials makers. Manocha feels SEMI must evolve as the industry’s ecosystem rapidly expands to support smarter, connected applications based on artificial intelligence, machine learning and other disruptive technologies.
Manocha is active on global advocacy and workforce development issues and has served on President Obama’s committees for “Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships” and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology (PCAST).
Manocha holds the rare distinction of being inducted into two Hall of Fames. In 2021, VLSIresearch added Manocha to its Semiconductor Industry Hall of Fame for his leadership of SEMI efforts to address geopolitical trade tensions as well as for his initiative in navigating the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic impacting SEMI and the microelectronics industry. In 2020, Manocha was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame, and VLSI named him an “All Star of the Semiconductor Industry” for his visionary leadership in 2019 to restructure SEMI to represent the expanded electronics supply chain.
Semiconductor Industry Career Highlights
- CEO at GlobalFoundries guiding its rise to a top 3 pure-play foundry
- EVP and Chief Manufacturing Officer (COO) at Philips/NXP
- Research Scientist and Senior Executive at the legendary Bell Laboratories
- “Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships”
- President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
SEMI Transformation Highlights
- Expanded the association’s membership scope and benefits to serve the global electronics supply chain while maintaining core focus on the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem
- Established Board of Industry Leaders to expand governance and vet priorities with broader electronics supply chain
- Smart Initiatives foster smarter technology collaboration directly with end customers across fast-growing vertical market segments (Data-AI, Manufacturing, MedTech and Mobility).
- The refinement of Technology Communities, Market Data and Standards offerings, SEMICON expositions and in-person and virtual events to better serve member needs and offer increased value.
- American Semiconductor Academy partnership, Mentoring & University Connections creates formal partnerships with universities to provide industry access to emerging talent in STEM fields.
- SEMI Career & Apprenticeship Network (SCAN) connects students and adult workers to industry and manufacturing careers.
- SEMI VetWorks helps bring transitioning military veterans to our industry.
- The launch of the SEMI University online learning platform helps workers strengthen skills and minimizes the need for member companies to acquire or develop their own education and training.
- The Sustainability Initiative brings members together from across the semiconductor value chain to find solutions to common issues and share best practices.
- The Semiconductor Climate Consortium aligns industry goals and approaches to continuously improve and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the industry value chain.
- SEMI and the Global Advocacy program moved quickly to help ensure “essential business” status with governments during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The program is now helping members navigate increasing geopolitical tensions and export control barriers, supporting the approval of incentives legislation such as the US. CHIPS Act, and providing resources to guide member companies on incentives applications.
- The Supply Chain Management Initiative boosts agility and resiliency with enhanced collaboration and transparency.
- The Initiative’s Industry Advisory Council guides priorities to improve the end-to-end electronics supply chain collectively.