Glamorgan signs $3,000,000 sponsorship deal

January 19, 2012

The University of Glamorgan has signed a substantial sponsorship deal, worth in excess of $3,000,000 that will enable electronics engineering students to experience the cutting edge of digital design.

The sponsorship deal takes the form of software licences and support for the latest electronic design tools. The University of Glamorgan is one of only four UK universities that have been granted permission to use the software, and one of sixty in the world.

The company supplying the tools, Calypto Design Systems Inc. is a leader in electronic design automation. The tools enable companies to develop advanced electronic products, such as the next generation of smart phone, quicker and more cost-effectively and help engineers conquer design challenges in the increasingly complex world of board and chip design.

Iain Shewring, from the Faculty of Advanced Technology at the University said: “As digital designs have massively increased in complexity in the last 10 years, the tools and methodologies have also had to radically change: these tools are the outcome of this requirement, and this sponsorship offers our students a unique opportunity to experience the cutting edge of digital design.”

Shawn McCloud, VP of Marketing at Calypto Design Systems added: “Very few universities have been allowed access to these tools, so this new sponsorship deal gives Glamorgan graduates a competitive edge over their peers. Our donation of high-level synthesis tools will result in a big payback because this is where our customers will find the best resource for hiring the next generation of talented engineers.”

As this is the leading edge of design technology, tools are limited to a small number of vendors and their commercial costs are very high. A proposal was developed by Iain Shewring and presented to Calypto Design Systems Inc., this was subsequently accepted and the University was allowed access to Calypto’s Catapult C toolset.

Details of the donation:

• 20 copies of the Catapult C toolset have been donated to the University.
• Commercial value = $150,000/copy.

Srikanth Katra, a MSc Embedded Systems Design student at the University, said: “Being able to use the Catapult C toolset has been invaluable in terms of broadening my knowledge and understanding of digital design. I hope that this experience will enhance my CV and put me in an excellent position when applying for jobs.”

In the National Student Survey 2011, Glamorgan’s electronics courses were rated number one in the UK for overall student satisfaction.

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