Silicon Valley-based technology leader Synopsys to invest in R&D capabilities in Sri Lanka

Synopsys, Inc., a global high-tech leader enabling companies to innovate from Silicon to Software, has announced it is investing in R&D capabilities in its Sri Lanka operations. To extend its local R&D capabilities, Synopsys is working with the University of Moratuwa, the University of Peradeniya and the University of Ruhuna to build very-large-scale integration (VLSI) and electronic design automation (EDA) skill sets to help graduating engineers meet ever-evolving challenges in semiconductor design, EDA, semiconductor IP and software security and quality. 

Synopsys is the only EDA company to build a presence in Sri Lanka and has worked closely with the universities to develop the VLSI curriculum to help young engineers get hands-on experience with best-in-class technologies. In a recent trip to Sri Lanka, Dr. Aart de Geus, Synopsys’ Chairman and co-CEO, along with Dr. Pradip K. Dutta, group vice president and managing director of Synopsys India and Sri Lanka, and Farazy Fahmy, R&D director of Synopsys Sri Lanka, met with Minister of Science, Technology and Research Susil Premajayantha, to discuss the growing technology ecosystem in Sri Lanka.

Synopsys established its operations in Colombo in 2015, and since then the R&D team has grown to approximately 100 engineers involved in the research, design and development of key EDA technologies and products that enable ‘Smart, Secure Everything from Silicon to Software’ in the global electronics market. The Sri Lanka operation is engaged in R&D activities across core EDA, and its objective is to grow in advanced technology areas such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to embrace the era of ‘smart everything’.

Synopsys has evolved from its roots as a start-up logic synthesis enterprise in 1986 to being the world leader in EDA and one of the world’s largest software companies, employing more than 11,000 employees in more than 100 offices across North America, Europe, Japan, the Pacific Rim, India and Israel. The company was founded by Dr. Aart de Geus, one of the world’s leading experts on logic synthesis and simulation. Dr. de Geus is known throughout the electronics and semiconductor industries for his technical, business and community achievements, with multiple awards including Electronic Business Magazine’s ‘CEO of the Year’, the IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal, the GSA Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award, the Silicon Valley Engineering Council Hall of Fame Award and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Pradip K. Dutta commenting on the roadmap, said, “We are building up competence in verification technology, which is core to EDA software. We plan to continue to invest and develop expertise in Sri Lanka as part of our R&D presence in South Asia.”

“Sri Lanka is the latest addition to our worldwide R&D operations, and we are impressed with the engineering talent here. We are collaborating with academia in Sri Lanka and across our operations in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific, allowing us to further strengthen our global R&D footprint,” said Dr. Aart de Geus.

Speaking on the growth potential in Sri Lanka, Farazy Fahmy said, “We are hiring and developing talent, investing in state­-of-­the-­art facilities, and partnering with universities to build VLSI and EDA expertise.”