New SPARK center creates global hub for advancing high-performance computing

On September 1, the University of Arizona and partners from Southern Arizona and the City of Kaohsiung in Taiwan announced an new global hub aimed at strengthening Arizona's position as a powerhouse for research, education and workforce development for semiconductor and photonics industries. 

Semiconductors are the foundation of computer chips, powering technologies that are central to modern life, industry and the global economy. Photonics uses light to transmit and process information, enabling data to move at high speeds while using less energy than traditional electrical connections.

"AI and high-performance computing are pushing the limits of how quickly and efficiently we can move enormous amounts of data," said U of A Senior Vice President for Research and Partnerships Tomás Díaz de la Rubia in the announcement. "Meeting that challenge will require new approaches that bring semiconductors and photonics together. SPARK puts researchers, students and industry from Arizona and Taiwan at that intersection, with an opportunity to help shape the future of computing.”

Read or listen to the full story from the U of A Office of Research & Partnerships at U of A News