Automating the design process (Electronic Design Automation, EDA) is fundamental to microelectronics and other future systems. However, it is impossible for one single company to develop the necessary methods and tools by itself. To ensure our future design capacity we need the concerted action of semiconductor and system companies, universities, research institutes and EDA vendors.

By forming the edacentrum association the German industry, supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), took an important step for advancing EDA in society, politics and in the industry. The edacentrum pursues the following strategic goals:

    - to support collaboration in EDA research to increase the transfer of research results.

   - to strengthen the specific market for EDA and its specific needs.

   - to sensitize management as well as the public and political arena to the professional and economic problems resulting from the design gap.

   - to demonstrate EDA strengths more effectively to the world.