"Portugal has excellent universities and high quality of life that attracts worldwide talent. MPS wants to offer exceptional job opportunities within the semiconductor industry to this talent. We look forward to a great future of growth in the Portugal region," said Michael Hsing, MPS's CEO. "We believe Professor Franca is a great resource to help build those relationships".
To support the company's expansion, MPS retained Professor José Epifânio da Franca as its special advisor to engage with local industry and top universities in Portugal. His experience in growing successful semiconductor businesses in Portugal will be invaluable to MPS in its mission to establish its design centres in the region.
José Epifânio da Franca has had a career as an academic, innovator, serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, mentor, and advisor. He is a Full Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) and founded IST's Integrated Circuits and Systems Research Group and Chipidea. He was elected Fellow of the IEEE, the first in Portugal, and is the recipient of the prestigious IEEE CAS Golden Jubilee Award, recognizing the 100 most influential researchers in the 50 years of IEEE. He is an Operating Partner at Keensight Capital and was a State Secretary of Education in the Portuguese government.