The first-of-its-kind Center of Excellence has established a specialized network throughout Central and Eastern Europe and Russia of university teams, incubators, training programs and other infrastructure. The Brno-based Center supports small- and medium-sized technology companies worldwide by serving as a comprehensive resource for cost-effective, highly skilled engineering specialists.

ChipInvest began as a partnership between the Czech Business Development Agency and Cadence in 2005 to support research-and-development of new chip technologies, emerging technology companies, and advanced training in integrated circuit design.

"Because we are leveraging pre-existing infrastructure and assets in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia, we are able to bring together a critical mass of expertise and infrastructure in a very short time period," said Radomil Novak, Director, U.S. Operations-West and Adviser to the CEO, CzechInvest. "Our Center of Excellence goes beyond typical incubators by providing a formal network for training and talent-gathering for the international microelectronics industry. It's like placing a magnet in an electric field. We are directing knowledge-flow to one place -- the Czech Republic. As a result, multinational organizations and small- and medium-sized businesses worldwide now have an unparalleled resource."

ChipInvest is headquartered at the renowned Brno University of Technology campus in the Czech Republic. European Union- and Czech-based national funding subsidizes key educational programs that provide additional training for engineers working in microelectronics design.

Through the three Czech-based incubators, entrepreneurs also can access venture capital funding earmarked for emergent technology companies.

SoftInvest, a partnership between the Czech branch of software company Microsoft and CzechInvest, will be working collaboratively with ChipInvest in order to create an innovation center focused on embedded systems. One of the objectives of the center is to provide a partner program in cooperation with Czech universities to support the creation of approximately 20 microelectronic-focused software start-up companies within two to three years.

Several leading, global microelectronics companies are currently conducting leading-edge research-and-development activities in the Czech Republic:

--  The Czech subsidiary of Motorola Freescale specializes in the
    development of both software and hardware system engineering at its
    worldwide Center of Excellence;
--  S3 designs specialized microchips for telecom hardware manufacturers;
--  AMI Semiconductor designs state-of-the-art integrated, mixed-signal
    products and structured digital products for the automotive, medical and
    industrial sectors;
--  SCG Czech Design Centre, branch of ON Semiconductor, develops analogue
    and mixed mode ICs for a range of industry sectors;
--  ST Microelectronics, design center, comprised of 240 engineers,
    develops key applications for its product lines worldwide;
--  Flextronics Design Center provides design and engineering solutions
    that are combined with core electronics manufacturing and logistics
    services;
--  Cadence supports the development of key technologies at two Czech
    Universities by using electronic design automation (EDA) laboratories.
    

About CzechInvest

CzechInvest, the Investment and Business Development Agency, is an agency of the Ministry of Industry & Trade of the Czech Republic whose services and development programs contribute to attracting foreign investment and developing Czech companies. The agency is the sole organization that may submit applications for investment incentives to governing bodies, manage the agenda with related incentives, and manage the development of the entire system of investment support in the Czech Republic. CzechInvest also promotes the country abroad and acts as an intermediary between the European Union and small and medium-sized enterprises in implementing EU structural funds in the Czech Republic. All CzechInvest's services are free of charge. For more information please visit www.czechinvest.org.

Contact:
Melissa Anthony
anthonyBarnum Public Relations
(512) 343-9121