Abstract
This paper outlines the background to current national and
provincial research and development initiatives in VLSI design and
fabrication. After identifying the four enabling technologies
underlying the Information Revolution, and briefly explaining the
nature of VLSI, the paper goes to show the close parallels between
the previous Industrial Revolution and the current Information
Revolution. It is noted that we have just reached the same critical
development stage of 'inventing the machine to make machines'.
The importance of VLSI and related topics to the survival of
modern nations is spelled out. The current major bottlenecks
in developing this important enabling technology (VLSI) are
identified as lying in design manpower, design software, and mask
making. In Canada the situation is particularly acute. It is noted
that the current recession has, paradoxically, opened a 'window'
in time, during which Canada, and partcularly Alberta, can take
steps to participate fully in the benefits to be expected from
establishing high tech industries based on the Information
Revolution, and in particular on VLSI and the related software
enabling technologies. Some initiatives have already been taken.
What more needs to be done is spelled out within the international,
national, and Albertan contexts.
Notes
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