Northrop Grumman appointed to DARPA Electronics Resurgence Initiative

Land September 3, 2018

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has appointed Northrop Grumman to its Electronics Resurgence Initiative in a concerted effort to drive microelectronic technologies.

Led by the DARPA Microsystems Technology Office, the Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI) has a potential worth of $1.5 billion, which will be divvied up between the initiatives’ many industry and academic participants.

First established in 2017, the ERI is comprised of numerous existing programmes along with six new additions – two for each of the three key research thrusts. The hope now is that the ERI will spark a new wave of semiconductor advancement focusing on microsystem materials, designs, architectures and integration. The ERI was conceived to increase momentum for innovation in the microelectronics industry while also maintaining technical superiority and advancing national defence.

Northrop Grumman – along with subcontractor JITX, headquartered in Berkeley, California – was one of 11 chosen research teams to perform on the Intelligent Design of Electronic Assets programme, itself part of the ERI. The company will attempt to create an automated electronic circuit layout generator that enables users with no experience to create circuit designs ready for manufacturing within 24 hours. The technology could reduce design times for electronic circuitry from years to a single day.

“Northrop Grumman is at the forefront of microelectronics and next generation computing,” said Vern Boyle, Vice President of Advanced Technologies at Northrop Grumman Mission Systems. “Our ERI partnership with DARPA is an important step toward maintaining the nation’s leadership in electronics and improving national security.”

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DARPA Electronics Resurgence Initiative Northrop Grumman