SemiWiki Q&A with Julie Rogers, Executive Director, ESD Alliance

The Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), a SEMI Technology Community, an international association of companies providing goods and services throughout the semiconductor design ecosystem, is a forum to address technical, marketing, economic and legislative issues affecting the entire industry. It acts as the central voice to communicate and promote the value of the semiconductor design industry as a vital component of the global electronics industry.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your path to your new role as Executive Director of the Electronic System Design (ESD) Alliance.

I’m excited for what lies ahead for the ESD Alliance, also known as ESDA, and the design industry. My career has been shaped by curiosity about how technology evolves and reaches the market. Early in my career, I worked with a large hospital system writing grants and securing education funding from medical device companies, which sparked my interest in innovation and ultimately drew me to Silicon Valley.

More than a decade ago, while running my own marketing firm, I added the ESD Alliance—then EDAC—to my client list. When ESDA later merged into SEMI, I became Director of Marketing for SEMI Americas while continuing my work with ESDA, giving me a front-row seat to the evolution of the design ecosystem.

What are your responsibilities and priorities in your new role as Executive Director?

My focus is to support and advance our member companies and strengthen the role of the ESDA within the broader semiconductor ecosystem. Key priorities include driving executive engagement, expanding thought-leadership platforms, global outreach and ensuring our programs deliver value.

A key priority is inspiring leadership participation, bringing executives together to collaborate, share insights, and address challenges that impact the entire design community. Our events appeal to everyone working in and with the design industry bringing topics and companies together, which helps strengthen established and emerging companies as the industry navigates rapid change.

What do you see as the biggest opportunity for the ESD Alliance and the EDA and IP community in 2026?

A major opportunity is helping members navigate complexity, from export regulations to AI-driven innovation, while continuing to support emerging companies through visibility and strategic connections. Design is increasingly central to all semiconductor end products and services, and ESDA plays a critical role in communicating this value.

I see tremendous opportunity to support emerging companies. These innovators are driving new ideas and technologies, and we can help them with strategy, visibility, and the right networking connections to accelerate their growth. I really enjoy this part when it all comes together to up level the design ecosystem.

We have an expanded resource working with our regional offices on a global level as well. Pre-pandemic we had initial meetings worldwide and we plan to enhance visibility of ESDA and increase the design community momentum on a global scale.

How is the ESD Alliance working to address these opportunities?

We’re expanding both the scope and depth of our programs to address the most urgent member needs.

The ESD Alliance 2026 Executive Outlook, scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, at Cadence in San Jose, brings together senior leaders to discuss critical trends focusing on “How will Agentic AI Change Chip Design and Verification.” Panelists will survey the excitement surrounding the innovation in chip design and verification, collaboration between traditional EDA and agentic AI startups and broader implications for technological advancements.

The event will be held at Cadence, 2655 Seely Avenue in San Jose beginning at 5:30 p.m. with networking, dinner and beverages. The panel will follow at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are free for SEMI/ESDA members and $40 per person for non-members. Registration is open.

We’re also continuing to grow our advocacy programs with another webinar “Navigating Export Controls in EDA” Thursday, June 11“Gen-AI for Chip Design and Security: A Look into the Future” will be held Thursday, August 27. Additional events and a webinar on workforce development are also in the works.

SEMICON West 2025 included a design program that was well attended. Will that continue?

Absolutely. The response was incredibly strong, so in 2026 we’re expanding the design program to a full day of content. We’re actively looking for speakers and fresh perspectives, and we want this to be a must-attend forum for the design community. We will be featuring a design keynote as well. It’s coming up October 13-15 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

How do companies in the EDA and IP space typically engage with the ESD Alliance?

Engagement happens at many levels. Executives participate in events such as the ESDA/CEDA Phil Kaufman Award Dinner and the ESDA Executive Outlook. Companies also engage their design engineers and other key staff through participation in our webinars, advocacy initiatives, education, networking events, workforce development efforts through our SEMI Foundation, speaking opportunities and working groups. We have groups focused on key industry challenges such as platform interoperability, license management, and anti-piracy and we produce a highly regarded quarterly market report, Electronic Design Market Data (EDMD). Details can be found on the ESDA website.

Or SemiWiki readers can contact me directly:

jrogers@semi.org
(916) 798-9919
Julierogers.200Skype
WeChat ID: JulieARogers

Also Read:

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