Purdue Partners With Japanese Companies and Universities on Superconductor Research

• Purdue University has announced three international superconductor partnerships this month.
• The partnerships are a part of Purdue's "Purdue Computes" initiative.
• Purdue launched the Purdue Institute for Physical AI last month as part of the initiative.

Purdue University is continuing its investment in superconductor development through a partnership with Japanese electronics companies and universities.

Purdue University President Mung Chiang signed a partnership in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21, with Tokyo companies Micron and Tokyo Electron and U.S. and Japanese educational institutions to establish a superconductor development network.

Micron, Tokyo Electron, and the U.S. National Science Foundation will invest over $60 million over five years into the "UPWARDS Network."

"Purdue is the leading American university in semiconductor talent, innovation and industry partnership," Chiang said. "We are excited to partner with the semiconductor companies and other institutions for semiconductor collaboration between the U.S. and Japan. We will also launch the Negishi Fellowship in addition to the UPWARDS Network program to strengthen such collaboration."

Purdue said this is its third global semiconductor partnership this month after securing a relationship with the government of India and a partnership with imec, a Belgian-based company.

Purdue's Superconductor Degrees Program is "the first comprehensive set of innovative, interdisciplinary degrees and credentials in semiconductors and microelectronics in the country," according to the West Lafayette, Indiana, university.

The superconductor partnerships are a part of the "Purdue Computes" initiative. In April, Purdue launched the new Purdue Institute for Physical AI, where students will explore areas like deep fake detection, open agricultural data, and artificial intelligenceI-based manufacturing.

"These partnerships are about seizing economic opportunity and strengthening economic security," said Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan. "When we connect leading companies with leading colleges, we position ourselves to lead in critical technologies."

Schools in the UPWARDS Network:

United States:

Boise State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of Washington, and Virginia Tech.

Japan:

Hiroshima University, Kyushu University, Nagoya University, Tohoku University, and Tokyo Institute of Technology.