Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) at Georgia Tech has received $40 million in EDA software, support and training from California-based Agilent Technologies Inc. The gift was an unprecedented in-kind gift for the facility and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).

The multi-year commitment, which will begin in 2010 and continue through 2012, marks the second phase of Agilent's work with GEDC. The company made a similar in-kind gift in 2007 of EDA software and tools valued at $13 million.

The commitment reflects Agilent's continuing investment in the university community and the company’s dedication to staying at the leading edge of the world of electronic design. The selection of Georgia Tech and the GEDC team, under the leadership of Dr. Joy Laskar, continues Agilent's alignment with one of the world's leading research centers in communication technology.

"Access to Agilent technology has been invaluable to GEDC research and student training" said Laskar "As GEDC strives to maintain its place as a world leader in communication research technology, the Agilent alliance is one of the strong foundations of that leadership position".

This new agreement further develops the relationship between Georgia Tech and Agilent and provides an outlet for smaller start-up companies to gain access to Agilent EDA software and technologies through GEDC. The Agilent EDA Simulation Center currently provides RF, microwave-system and circuit-design instruction and research for students and start-up companies.

Qualified start-ups can utilize the Agilent tools at GEDC at no cost for the first year of a company's launch and at a reduced rate for the following three years of incubation, helping to alleviate the financial burden for new electronic design companies.

"Georgia Tech is a hotbed of great ideas that can be turned into commercial success," said Stephen Fleming, vice provost of the Enterprise Innovation Institute at Georgia Tech. "Within the area of semiconductor design, companies' access to design systems at low cost is essential to the development and prototyping process. Agilent's gift solves this problem for our companies. We are greatly indebted to them for their most generous donation."

The accessibility to Agilent products is already driving new enterprises to Atlanta and the resources at GEDC.

"When we decided to relocate our start-up company from California to Atlanta, there were several major reasons driving that decision," said Jeff Galloway, co-founder of
Silicon Creations. "Access to Georgia Tech, quality of life, cost of living, etc. A major benefit to us has been the no-cost access to Agilent's suite of design tools via their Georgia Tech Design Simulation Design donation. We look forward to a long term association and partnership."

This second phase of the Georgia Tech-Agilent partnership will also introduce Agilent Student Liaisons, two graduate research assistants who will deliver software training as well as coordinate and supervise research projects that utilize Agilent software and tools.

"We are grateful for this latest in-kind commitment from Agilent, which is the largest that ECE has ever received and for the company's longstanding and generous support of our efforts," said Gary S. May, Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "By using these specialized tools on a regular basis, students will have important technical concepts enhanced and reinforced that they learn in our electronics and electromagnetics courses and while they are on the job in our research labs. Upon graduation, they will immediately be valuable contributors to their employers in academia and industry."

Collaborations such as this are vital as Georgia Tech seeks to strengthen ties with both the business and technology community.

"Throughout its history, much of the strength of Georgia Tech has come from successful partnerships with business and industry," said Dr. G.P. "Bud" Peterson, Georgia Tech president. "Agilent has and continues to be a leader in the development of electronic, biomedical and nano electronics. Strategically Agilent and Georgia Tech, with our new Marcus Nanotechnology Research Center, our ongoing work in the field of biomedical engineering and our growth in mixed-signal analysis, have a great deal in common and work together well."