INITIATIVES
Everything we do at Semicon Desert starts with real work — challenges, training, and programs that connect talent with industry needs. Each initiative is a way to help more people learn, build, and scale inside the global semiconductor supply chain.
Our first statewide challenge invites students from all universities in Sonora to design a smarter temperature sensor using AI. Participants receive hands-on training in LTSpice and artificial intelligence, learn from mentors in academia and industry, and turn ideas into practical semiconductor solutions.
WHAT’S NEXT
The AI Sensor Challenge is just the beginning. Semicon Desert is building a complete pipeline of programs that help founders grow from early ideas to global-scale companies.
Coming in 2026:
Semicon Desert Accelerator — a cohort for early-stage founders developing technologies, materials, or software that strengthen the global semiconductor value chain.
Semiconductor Startup Bootcamp — short, hands-on training that helps technical teams validate ideas, test prototypes, and take their first steps toward market readiness.
Cross-Border Innovation Fellowship — a program connecting founders, mentors, and investors across Sonora, Arizona, and leading semiconductor hubs worldwide.
GET INVOLVED
Each initiative is built on collaboration. We partner with universities, industry, and investors who want to develop new talent and strengthen the ecosystem from both sides of the border.
Whether you want to launch a challenge, mentor a team, or co-design a program, we’re always looking for partners ready to build.