Exploring the Future of the “AI Ecosystem Revolution”
[Silicon Valley, CA – September 27, 2025] — The Chinese American Semiconductor Professional Association (CASPA) successfully hosted its 2025 Annual Conference & Dinner Banquet at the Santa Clara Convention Center. With the theme“AI Ecosystem Revolution: Advancing Tomorrow’s Intelligence Together,” the full-day event attracted over a thousand participants from around the world, including scholars, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and investors in the fields of artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
Both the morning startup forum and the afternoon industry session drew standing-room-only crowds, filled with insight, innovation, and energy.
Morning Session: Opening Ceremony & Innovation Forum
Held in the Elizabeth Theater, the morning session opened to a packed audience. Zhibin Xiao, President of CASPA and Founder & CEO of ZFlow AI, delivered opening remarks:
“Artificial intelligence and semiconductors are driving industrial transformation at unprecedented speed. CASPA will continue to bridge academia and industry, technology and capital — building connections for innovators and exploring the next-generation intelligent ecosystem together.”
He also presented honorary awards to outgoing board members, followed by the CASPA Board of Directors election, which concluded successfully amid warm applause.
At the AI Startup and Investment Forum, Dr. Naveed Sherwani (CEO, National Semiconductor Hub of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; former Co-founder & CEO, SiFive) delivered a keynote, “Revitalizing Semiconductor Startups: Semiconductor Business Models for New AI Opportunities in the Middle East..” He emphasized that emerging markets and cross-border collaboration will play crucial roles in advancing innovation.
Zhibin Xiao then presented “A Unified Optimization Platform to Drive Innovation in AI Hardware-Software Co-Design,” highlighting how integrated hardware–software optimization can accelerate design efficiency and energy performance.
A dynamic panel moderated by Tony Xia (CASPA Board Advisor) featured Alex Liu (Furiosa AI), Glenn Ge (TetraMem), Larry Zu (Sarcina),Gerry Fan (X-Conn), and Zhizhen Zhong(Netpreme). Their discussion on AI startup opportunities, investment climate, and emerging technologies sparked lively audience engagement.
Afternoon Session: Industry Leaders on the Cutting Edge
The afternoon session continued with high energy and full attendance. The arrival of David Wang, SVP at AMD, drew wide attention. A global leader in GPU and graphics architecture, Wang discussed the convergence of AI and high-performance computing, emphasizing GPUs’ critical role in large-scale training and inference.
He highlighted the exponential growth in computing demand driven by generative AI and underscored the need for hardware–software co-innovation to optimize performance and power efficiency. Wang also shared AMD’s strategies for accelerated chip design, open ecosystems, and sustainable computing innovation, earning repeated applause.
Subsequent talks included:
• Brandon Wang (VP, Synopsys) — remarks on behalf of Ann Minooka (CMO, Synopsys) on intelligent EDA tools and design acceleration. • Hua Xue (VP, Altera) — on the innovative potential of programmable chips (FPGAs) in AI and data centers. • Li Erran Li (Head of Science, Amazon AWS AI) — on large-scale cloud-based intelligent systems. • Ken Chang (SVP, Marvell) — on high-speed interconnects and data infrastructure for next-generation AI applications.
During the Expert Forum moderated by Brandon Wang (VP, Synopsys), Ben Gu (Cadence),Renxin Xia (AMD), David Pan (UT Austin), and Tahmid Rahman (Solidigm) offered deep insights into EDA tools, GPU architectures, design automation, and data processing — showcasing vibrant cross-sector dialogue on AI–semiconductor convergence.
Evening Banquet: A Night of Inspiration Featuring Dr. Lisa Su
The evening banquet in the Mission Ballroom marked the event’s grand finale. Amid elegant décor and lively conversation, business leaders, policymakers, and scholars celebrated innovation and collaboration.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan praised CASPA’s pivotal role in strengthening Silicon Valley’s innovation ecosystem and fostering global technology collaboration, calling CASPA “a vital bridge connecting the Bay Area and the world.”
During the Leadership Transition Ceremony (2025–2026), retiring president Zhibin Xiaoreflected on CASPA’s achievements in technological innovation, industry engagement, and youth development, expressing gratitude to the community.
Incoming president Gary Wang delivered his inaugural address, pledging to expand international cooperation in AI and semiconductors, deepen connections among industry, academia, and investment, and empower young innovators:
“CASPA is not only a platform for technology exchange but a community that connects people, ideas, and innovation. Together, we will go farther.”
The evening’s highlight was a fireside chat betweenDr. Lisa Su (Chair & CEO, AMD) and Dr. Gary Wang. Reflecting on her 30-year career, Dr. Su shared insights from AMD’s transformation into a global leader in high-performance computing and AI.
She noted that high-performance computing is the foundation of future technology, and AI will drive global industries in the coming decade. Encouraging young engineers, she said:
“Going to the hardest project, working on the most ambitious project, will give you so much experience in life.”
Dr. Su predicted AI will expand from the cloud to edge and personal devices and reaffirmed AMD’s commitment to open ecosystems and global collaboration in advancing AI innovation.
The event concluded with the 2025 CASPA Scholarship Awards, honoring 11 outstanding Bay Area high school students for academic excellence, creativity, and community service. Awards were presented by Dr. Su, David Wang, and IEEE representatives — closing the conference on an inspiring note.
A Legacy of Innovation and Influence
As CASPA’s flagship annual event, the conference has become a premier global platform for AI and semiconductor collaboration. From morning innovation to evening inspiration, the 2025 conference embodied the spirit of the “AI Ecosystem Revolution.”
Over the years, CASPA has welcomed leading figures, including:
• Jensen Huang, NVIDIA (2003, 2009, 2023) • Hock Tan, Broadcom (2011–2017) • Simon Segars, ARM (2014) • Gary Dickerson, Applied Materials (2018) • Victor Peng, Xilinx (2019) • Walden Rhines, Mentor Graphics (2020) • Lip-Bu Tan, Cadence (2021) • Rene Haas, ARM (2022) • Charlie Kawwas, Broadcom (2024) • Lisa Su, AMD (2025)
Their continued presence underscores CASPA’s unparalleled influence and global reputation in the technology community.
We look forward to the 2026 CASPA Annual Conference & Dinner Banquet, where innovation and collaboration will once again illuminate Silicon Valley.
