WASHINGTON, D.C., December 3, 2024 – Natcast, the purpose-built, non-profit entity designated by the Department of Commerce to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) established by the CHIPS and Science Act of the U.S. government, today announced Vivek Prasad as Vice President of Design Engineering Ecosystem Enablement. In this role, Prasad will lead the establishment and launch of the NSTC’s Design Enablement Gateway and silicon aggregation service, which together will provide NSTC members access to electronic design automation capabilities, design resources, and shared datasets, as well as increased access to multi-project wafers. As outlined in the NSTC Strategic Plan, these initiatives are designed to accelerate innovation, improve collaboration, and lower the time and cost to advance innovative ideas through the various stages of semiconductor design and manufacturing.
“Vivek’s deep expertise in semiconductor design and pre-silicon readiness along with his leadership experience and collaboration within the semiconductor ecosystem make him an ideal fit for our team,” said Deirdre Hanford, CEO of Natcast. “The Design Enablement Gateway and silicon aggregation service initiatives are essential elements of Natcast’s member value. Once established, these offerings will accelerate the innovation and collaboration of semiconductor startups and researchers. We’re pleased to have Vivek on board to lead these important efforts.”
Prasad brings to Natcast more than 30 years of microelectronics engineering and broader industry experience, leading product strategy, customer engagement, and business development. His technical expertise spans pre-silicon validation, pre-silicon software readiness, chip architecture, AI-enhanced workflows, emulation, and scalable platforms. Before joining Natcast, Prasad served as Vice President & General Manager at Intel, where he was responsible for defining and implementing system-level pre-silicon validation strategy for a majority of Intel products. He also managed the test board, test chips, and associated lab infrastructure for streamlined prototyping of new IPs and sub-systems. Prior to Intel, Prasad spent more than a decade at Synopsys, where he led the deployment of emulation and prototyping solutions and methodologies to drive first-pass silicon success and faster time to market.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join Natcast at this pivotal moment for U.S. semiconductor research and development,” said Prasad. “Reducing the time and cost to first prototype is a critical aspect of strengthening our country’s competitive edge in semiconductor R&D. I look forward to working with the talented team at Natcast and our ecosystem partners to create world-class tools and resources that empower NSTC members to push the boundaries of semiconductor design.”
The Design Enablement Gateway and silicon aggregation service are anticipated to be available to NSTC members in 2025. Learn more about NSTC membership and benefits at natcast.org/nstcmembership.