As program assistant for electronics and emerging technology, my main project is processing and digitizing Gordon Moore materials from his office at Intel Corporation. By reading his correspondence reports, presentations, and other materials that span 30 years, I have discovered that Dr. Moore cares not just for the success of his company. He is also concerned for the future of his field in electronics and technology and science in general. In the late 1980s and 1990s Dr. Moore lectured at educational conferences to promote science and math and urged teachers to integrate technology in the classroom. At one point he requested Intel employees to encourage their own children to take an interest in science.

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One of the ongoing projects in the Center’s Innovation program is the Robert W. Gore Materials Innovation Project. Two years in the making, the first group of white papers has just been published. The on-line and PDF versions can now be found here.

Each of these case studies focuses on a different materials innovation within the past 20 years, covering a diverse range of companies, such as IBM and Rohm and Haas. Authors from each case conducted detailed interviews of the personnel involved with the innovation process and documented their experience. The thoughtful analysis should help readers get a glimpse of the innovation process within the chemical industry and give insights to researchers on how to avoid some of the pitfalls along the long path of materials R&D.

Two additional case studies from this batch will be published shortly, and five new cases from the second batch will be available later this year, so stay tuned.

About a year ago Intel Corporation, Samsung Electronics, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company made the announcement that they will take steps toward making the transition from 300-mm to 450-mm silicon wafers in 2012. This announcement reflects an important shift in the dynamics of the global semiconductor industry. What does making the transition from 300-mm to 450-mm wafers mean? It changes everything about the productivity and economics associated with semiconductor manufacturing. 

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University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and public television’s Nightly Business Report recently completed a project that identified the top 30 innovations of the last 30 years. Viewers of the program were encouraged to submit nominations. A panel of eight Wharton staff members with specialties in management, technology, finance, and ethics narrowed the number to 30 and then ranked them.

Key criteria in assigning the rankings included

• Did the innovation have a material effect in improving quality of life?
• Did it address a compelling need?
• Did it change the way business is conducted?
• Did it spark an ongoing stream of new innovations?

Given the audience and the backgrounds of the judges, a strong business perspective was evident. Nevertheless, some broader trends were evident.

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