With rapid technological advancements, innovations in integrated circuit (chip) design are developing at an unprecedented pace, making it crucial to stay up to date. Two academics from the Faculty of Information Technology at the Czech Technical University (FIT CTU) – Prof. Hana Kubátová, CSc. and Ing. Michal Štepanovský, Ph.D. – were honored to be invited as VIP participants at the prestigious TECIF conference. The conference focused on the development, strategies, requirements, and particularly the technologies involved in integrated circuit design in Taiwan and Europe. It also emphasized the connection between academia and industry. The first edition of the conference was held from October 29 to 31, 2024, at the NH Prague City Hotel in Prague.
Over the course of three days, participants enjoyed a rich program that included lectures, discussions, and workshops on key topics such as silicon photonics, digital circuits and systems, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Prof. Kubátová from FIT CTU, together with Ing. Štepanovský, delivered an invited lecture on "Open source in digital design."
The lecture focused on the design and teaching of digital systems using open-source tools. This approach not only uses freely available tools and architectures but also fully publishes the resulting implementations. A main example of this is RISC-V, an open computer architecture that developers can freely use and modify according to the needs of the proposed application. This approach enables faster and more efficient development of embedded systems, which are widely used in devices ranging from smartphones to industrial machines.
"Open-source tools can help reduce energy consumption, enhance security, and shorten the time required to bring new products to market. Overall, it is an approach that fosters innovation and collaboration, not only in the field of digital design," emphasized Prof. Kubátová.
The event provided a platform for deeper knowledge and experience exchange among experts from various research areas and industries, contributing to strengthening international cooperation and innovation.
