Australia joins microchip league

Press, 23 August 1984, Page 27

Australia joins microchip league

NZPA-AAP Adelaide Australia has joined the big league of computer microchip manufacturing with the launching of a new silicon chip, says the Federal Science and Technology Minister, Mr Barry Jones. Mr Jones demonstrated the new fingernail-sized 100,000-transistor logic, or 100 k, chip before an audience of C.5.1.R.0. scientists, academics, and others involved in the industry at Technology Park, north of Adelaide. The chip, which can recognise voice commands, was developed by the C.S.LR.O.’s Very Large Scale Integrated (V.L.5.1.) Sram and meant Ausa could now design silicon circuits as complex and as powerful as any in the world. The 100 k chip would be developed by a new company called Austek Microsystems, which was simultaneously launched by the South Australian Technology Minister, Mr Lynn Arnold. Mr Arnold said that Austek would have great significance for South Australia and the company had already attracted keen interest from overseas.

He said that the company had an initial investment of $6 million and the state government recently approved a $400,000 grant to develop industry incentive. The chip was designed by a C.5.1.R.0. grofip headed by Dr Craig Mudge, who was also the head of Austek, which had set up its base at Technology Park.

Mr Jones said the development of the chip changed the configuration of Australia’s technological capacity which could tap into an international market worth an estimated $lOO. million. He said that Australia could capitalise on the international electronics boom by developing its own unique devices based on V.S.L.I. chips, especially in the areas of medical technology and in the mining industry. - “But, to do this it is going to take a change of attitude in Australian manufacturing industry, especially on the part of the people who guard it — the managers and the investors,” Mr Jones said. “What we now need is entrepreneurial companies who are willing to venture

into the development of V.L.5.1.-based products as well as investors who can weigh the risks against the potentially enormous returns from innovative products.”