UC Berkeley to Join Applied Materials’ EPIC Center to Speed Chip Innovation

semiconductor-digest.com Aug 14, 2026

UC Berkeley to Join Applied Materials’ EPIC Center to Speed Chip Innovation

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Aug 14, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Applied Materials announced that the University of California, Berkeley will join its EPIC Center in Silicon Valley as a research collaborator. This partnership aims to accelerate material and process innovations foundational to AI computing by combining academic research with industry-scale manufacturing tools. UC Berkeley faculty and students will work alongside Applied’s scientists to speed up the development and commercialization of next-generation semiconductor technologies. The EPIC Center, representing the largest U.S. investment in advanced semiconductor equipment R&D, provides university researchers access to industrial-grade equipment for rapid iteration and validation. UC Berkeley brings a historic legacy of semiconductor breakthroughs, including the FinFET and SPICE simulator. The collaboration strengthens the lab-to-fab innovation pipeline and supports semiconductor talent development. Both organizations already share ties through existing research centers and alumni networks. The EPIC Center is designed to reduce the time from early-stage research to full-scale manufacturing. It is on track to become operational in 2026, further integrating academic discovery with commercial deployment in the heart of Silicon Valley’s ecosystem.

💡 Why It Matters

· By granting direct access to industrial-scale equipment, the partnership bypasses the traditional bottleneck where academic discoveries stall before reaching manufacturing viability.
· This structural integration ensures that critical AI chip innovations move from theoretical concepts to commercial products significantly faster than conventional research models allow.

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Waymo Partners with Las Vegas Raiders & Allegiant Stadium

Waymo announced it will serve as the Official Autonomous Ride‑Hailing Partner for the Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium, becoming the first professional football team to collaborate with an autonomous vehicle company. The partnership provides Raiders fans with a dedicated Waymo pickup and drop‑off zone, clear signage, and a chance to win a VIP experience or a “Kickoff Kid” field visit. Waymo’s app will allow fans to request rides and experience autonomous transportation to games, concerts, and other major events.

💡 By integrating autonomous rides into major sports events, the deal showcases how self‑driving technology can enhance fan safety and convenience, setting a new standard for event transportation.

quantumcomputingreport.com · Aug 14

SDT Joins Canadian Non-Profit Open Quantum Design as Official Manufacturing Partner

South Korean quantum‑equipment developer SDT announced at Quantum Korea 2026 that it will serve as the official manufacturing partner for Canadian non‑profit Open Quantum Design (OQD). Under the agreement, SDT will turn OQD’s open‑source trapped‑ion hardware blueprints—covering ultra‑high‑vacuum chambers, micro‑fabricated surface ion‑trap electrodes, laser optics and software stacks—into fully assembled quantum processing units (QPUs) and the associated control electronics. The partnership also includes co‑development of user‑interface software and integration with SDT’s QuREKA Quantum Computing‑as‑a‑Service platform, which already supports hybrid CPU‑GPU‑QPU workloads for South Korean bio‑pharmaceutical research. SDT joins OQD’s preferred‑supplier network for LightFlow, a cloud‑based optical design service, extending the open‑source quantum ecosystem into ASEAN and South America and positioning SDT as a key node in the global quantum hardware supply chain.

💡 By commercialising open‑source trapped‑ion designs, the deal could democratise access to advanced quantum hardware for academia and defence, accelerating worldwide research capacity.

thequantuminsider.com · Aug 14

BTQ Technologies Partners With ITCEN PNS to Expand Post-Quantum Security in Korea

BTQ Technologies (Nasdaq: BTQ) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ITCEN PNS, the security platform subsidiary of Korea’s IT services conglomerate ITCENGLOBAL (KOSDAQ: 124500). The agreement creates a joint framework to embed post‑quantum cryptography, quantum‑safe authentication and next‑generation security infrastructure into digital‑identity, biometric, financial‑network and enterprise platforms for Korean and global markets. ITCEN PNS brings KCMVP‑validated hybrid cryptographic modules, KPQC expertise and experience deploying quantum‑resistant solutions in banks and insurers, while BTQ supplies its proprietary post‑quantum security technology. The partnership leverages ITCENGLOBAL’s extensive public‑sector, finance and enterprise customer base, aiming to accelerate regulatory‑compliant, quantum‑resistant deployments across critical infrastructure.

💡 By pairing BTQ’s quantum‑ready tech with ITCEN PNS’s validated products and market reach, the deal fast‑tracks the rollout of government‑approved, quantum‑safe security in Korea’s most sensitive sectors.

quantumcomputingreport.com · Aug 14

BTQ Technologies Signs MOU with ITCENGLOBAL Subsidiary ITCEN PNS to Deploy Post-Quantum…

BTQ Technologies Corp. signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ITCEN PNS Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of South Korean IT conglomerate ITCENGLOBAL, to deploy post-quantum security solutions. The agreement establishes a commercial framework for integrating post-quantum cryptography, quantum-safe authentication, and hardware-rooted security into South Korea’s financial, public-sector, and enterprise IT infrastructure. ITCEN PNS, formerly Secucen, supplies security services to major Korean banks and insurers. The partnership leverages ITCEN PNS’s July 2026 validation under Korea’s National Cryptographic Module Validation Program for a hybrid module using NIST-standardized algorithms. The collaboration will test and commercialize BTQ’s algorithms across financial transaction networks, digital identity frameworks, and public-sector cloud systems. Led by BTQ CEO Olivier Roussy Newton and ITCEN PNS CEO Won-gyu Park, the deal expands BTQ’s strategic footprint in South Korea. It connects BTQ’s cryptographic intellectual property directly into national deployment channels, targeting regulatory compliance and zero-trust architectures within the region’s critical infrastructure sectors.

💡 This partnership bypasses typical market entry hurdles by leveraging ITCEN PNS’s existing regulatory validation and deep ties to Korea’s banking and government sectors. It positions BTQ to capture early adoption of mandatory post-quantum standards before competitors establish similar footholds in the region.

thequantuminsider.com · Aug 13

Xanadu and University of Alberta Explore Quantum Computing for Cancer Drug Discovery

Xanadu Quantum Technologies and the University of Alberta have announced a strategic research partnership to develop quantum algorithms for designing photosensitizers used in photodynamic cancer therapy. The collaboration pairs Xanadu’s expertise in photonic quantum computing with Professor Alex Brown’s work on computational modeling of light‑matter interactions in photosensitizer systems. Researchers will create a quantum‑computing framework aimed at accelerating the discovery of compounds that activate under specific wavelengths to kill tumor cells, a process that classical simulations struggle to capture accurately. Xanadu recently demonstrated quantum simulations of key excited‑state properties, and Brown’s benchmark studies will guide algorithm development. The effort targets early fault‑tolerant quantum computers to overcome bottlenecks in drug‑design workflows. The partnership includes publications and access to Xanadu’s quantum platform.

💡 By tackling the notoriously hard excited‑state chemistry of photodynamic agents, the alliance could deliver a new class of precision oncology drugs that are faster and cheaper to develop.

vir.com.vn · Aug 13

NIC and Thermo Fisher advance shared tech infrastructure

The National Innovation Center (NIC) and Thermo Fisher Scientific have advanced their cooperation to develop shared technology infrastructure in Vietnam. This partnership addresses critical barriers in strategic technology industries by providing businesses, startups, universities, and research institutes with access to advanced international equipment and expertise. Gianluca Pettiti, Thermo Fisher’s president and COO, emphasized the need for continued investment in research infrastructure and human resources to support Vietnam’s high-tech sector growth. Vo Xuan Hoai, NIC deputy director, highlighted the value of an open research model that reduces costs and shortens development timelines. A shared laboratory at NIC Hoa Lac will serve as foundational infrastructure for research, testing, and workforce training. The collaboration aims to accelerate the application of advanced technologies, strengthen domestic innovation capacity, and connect local entities with global standards. Both parties are developing an implementation roadmap to mobilize additional partners and promote capacity-building programs, ensuring broader access to scientific resources and fostering a robust innovation ecosystem across Vietnam’s strategic industries.

💡 By establishing a shared laboratory, this partnership directly lowers the high capital barriers that typically prevent Vietnamese startups from accessing world-class analytical equipment. This model shifts the innovation landscape from isolated, under-resourced efforts to a collaborative ecosystem where commercial viability is accelerated through standardized, affordable infrastructure.