The premier EDA conference in Europe – many say, in the world – will be in Dresden this year, starting March 12th. There’s a certain something about DATE, a unique quality and consistent energy that runs throughout this conference that really sets it apart, whether in Nice, Munich, Grenoble, or Dresden.

Now in its 15th edition, Design, Automation & Test in Europe seems to get better with each passing year – more refined, focused, and confident, and more unabashedly academic, while still offering a rich experience for exhibitors wanting to showcase their latest and greatest.

With 55+ exhibitors this year, over 200 papers selected from almost a thousand submissions for the 2012 conference, 77 different technical sessions, keynotes from Bosch Automotive Electronics Division President Klaus Meder, and GlobalFoundries Senior Vice President for Design Enablement Mojy Chian, a host of tutorials, panel discussions, and workshops, a Sigda-sponsored PhD forum, and the annual EDAA Lifetime Achievement Award presentation – this year going to UC Berkeley’s own Prof. Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli – DATE is on tap to deliver another terrific week-long event.

University of Tübingen Dean of Science Prof. Wolfgang Rosenstiel is General Chair for DATE 2012. Not surprisingly, when we spoke by phone on March 2nd, he was extremely enthused about the Dresden event. I asked him how the conference has evolved over the years.

Dr. Rosenstiel said, “DATE started in 1998 as the merger of two other European conferences, EURO-DAC and ED&T. Since then, DATE has taken place every year, mainly between France and Germany.

“What has changed over the years? While we have kept the central theme of design, automation, and test in Europe, from there we have widened the focus in two directions.

“The applications of microelectronics have come more clearly into focus at DATE, with special tracks which continue to grow, and there has been an increasing emphasis on embedded systems.

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