Semiconductors are an indispensable part of modern society. Without progress in semiconductor technology, we would not have such conveniences as digital communications, the Internet or digital home electronic equipment. Technological advances in these areas are having a major impact on our society, culture and lifestyles. And the ubiquitous society_in which people can communicate anywhere, at any time_is now becoming a reality.
In their constant pursuit of new technologies, semiconductor device manufacturers continue to deliver new products to underpin the digitally networked society. In this context, the semiconductor industry will become more and more important to Japan.
Meanwhile, the environment surrounding the semiconductor industry is changing dramatically, and the industry must overcome various challenges in order to make further progress. An increasing number of these challenges are best tackled via cooperation between Japan, the United States and countries in Europe and Asia, rather than being embraced by Japan alone.
In its sixth year, the Electronic Design and Solution Fair 2006 (EDSFair 2006) will be held on January 26 and 27, 2006, at Pacifico Yokohama. The aim of the fair is to promote the dissemination of information about the latest design solutions, design and EDA technologies. These are crucial to advances in the functions, performance and design simplicity of electronic systems and semiconductor devices for equipment that will form the core of the information-intensive ubiquitous society.
Since 2001, when a cooperative partnership was launched with the Electronic Design Automation Consortium (EDAC) of the United States, EDSFair has risen to prominence as an international convention on a par with the Design Automation Conference (DAC) in America and Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE). EDSFair has also won strong acclaim as an Asian exhibition providing a forum for useful information exchange, and we expect the event to help further rejuvenate the electronics market.