Milpitas, California/Singapore–The Fabless Semiconductor Association (FSA), an industry association focused on furthering the cause of the fabless semiconductor model, has elected Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing’s president and chief executive officer, Barry Waite, to its board of directors.

Waite, a 30-year veteran of the semiconductor industry, was elected in a special FSA election that saw the board expand from nine to 17 members. Waite joins a set of executives representing the many facets of the fabless industry, including fabless companies, traditional semiconductor suppliers, and silicon foundries. The FSA board, which sets the organization’s general direction, decides matters of overall policy and reviews FSA activities.

“I am grateful for the confidence my industry peers demonstrated by electing me to this post. Chartered has a long history of support and participation with the FSA, through standards initiatives and other market development activities, and I’m delighted to play an even more active role in the FSA,” says Waite. “I believe Chartered’s unique perspectives will enrich the FSA’s strategies and goals, particularly as the benefits of the fabless model expand into non-traditional companies and market segments.”

FSA was incorporated in July 1994 by industry leaders wishing to achieve a more optimal balance between wafer demand and capacity for fabless companies, and has more than 240 corporate members representing fabless companies, foundry providers, packaging and assembly houses, investment bankers, providers of intellectual property, and a variety of other suppliers and partners. The mission of the organization is to support the fabless model by encouraging the ongoing, symbiotic relationship between fabless semiconductor companies and suppliers; facilitate productive business partnerships; create awareness and promote the acceptance of the fabless business model; disseminate relevant data; and nurture the creation, adoption, and implementation of standards and policies vital to the fabless model.