Avnet and HKSTP Launch iDM2 Micro-Electronics Development Program in Mainland China

HKSTP, Avnet and industry partners attended the launching ceremony

DONGGUAN, CHINA - January 5, 2023 - Avnet (NASDAQ: AVT), a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today announced the launch of the iDM² Micro-Electronics Node (iDM²) in Dongguan, Guangdong province. The FPGA-focused program was designed to drive technological innovation and strategic emerging industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area through nurturing engineering talent and supporting the growth of start-ups.

Peter Mok, Head of Greater Bay Area of HKSTP, Arthur Chung, Vice President of Sales and Supplier Management at Avnet Asia Pacific and representatives from Dongguan Science and Technology Bureau, Dongguan Songshan Lake Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone Administrative Committee, Binhaiwan Bay Area Administrative Committee, and the National Innovation Institute for Outstanding Engineers of New Generation Information Technology attended the launch ceremony.

iDM² refers to Ideas, Design, Manufacturing and Market, four pillars covering key phases in the entire industrial chain. iDM² Micro-Electronics Node is a new project jointly developed by Avnet and HKSTP that focuses on training technical FPGA talents on utilizing microelectronic design to help innovative high-tech enterprises, especially start-ups, accelerate product design and R&D, streamline research and development cycles, and reduce costs.

The program launches in Dongguan with a series of training courses. Each courses lasts about three months and will commence during spring and summer. Avnet will invite leading experts of embedded processors and microelectronics to hold courses for young technical talents and university students, and train qualified FPGA engineers through building an advanced technical training industry chain. In the future, Avnet also will provide support for the deployment, industrialization and marketing of specific projects to fully address the needs of enterprises in the Greater Bay Area.

Since 2019, Avnet and HKSTP began their collaboration and have jointly organized the iDM2 Micro-Electronics Node training program in Hong Kong. Each course consists of six sessions and lasts for three months, during which Avnet provided participants with a development kit featuring the Xilinx FPGA architecture. The course covers programming and cloud computing, motor control and intelligent transportation, artificial intelligence, big data analysis, computer vision and more. Over 70 engineering talents have benefitted from the program and were specially trained to provide support for the reindustrialization of Hong Kong, and the development of Hong Kong's electronics manufacturing industry.

At the launch ceremony, Peter Mok, Head of Greater Bay Area, HKSTP, said, "As the leading business incubator in Hong Kong, HKSTP hopes to work hand in hand with our industry partners, including Avnet, to open new horizons for the iDM² Micro-Electronics Node and cultivate a new generation of talents for technological innovation and vigorous development in the Greater Bay Area."

Mr. Peter Mok, Head of Greater Bay Area, HKSTP

Arthur Chung, Vice President of Sales and Supplier Management at Avnet Asia Pacific, said, “We are pleased to work with HKSTP to bring the iDM² Micro-Electronics Node to Mainland China. We are committed to providing quality training for future leaders, and supporting local start-ups enhance their design and development capabilities, transform their scientific and technological achievements into marketable results, and fully grasp the new opportunities brought by integrated development in the Greater Bay Area."

Mr. Arthur Chung, Vice President of Sales and Supplier Management of Avnet Asia Pacific

Avnet will continue to leverage its strategic ecosystem and platform advantages to support key industrial chain phases like design, production, marketing and sales for enterprises in the Greater Bay Area and help scale the region’s development with enhanced enterprise, talent, and product competitiveness.