The Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse is a state-sponsored (by Pennsylvania) economic development initiative. The Greenhouse began in 1999 to help build an industry cluster around the application(s) of System On Chip technology, particularly in the digital multimedia and digital networking markets.

The Greenhouse is supported by Pennsylvania universities, private foundations, private industry, regional development organizations, and the state and local government. The aim of the PDG is to foster economic growth and to create jobs by attracting companies to the region. The PDG helps members grow, and they also give aid to startups.

The aforementioned concept/product that spawned the PDG is System On Chip, or SOC. SOC design is representative of a major technology and product design advance that offers consumers and businesses faster, smaller products. Advances in semiconductor manufacturing allows the miniaturization and integration of what was once a multiple-chip product into a single chip that contains processors, memory, communication interfaces, analog interfaces, and embedded software.

The advantages to SOC are intriguing, but the technology requires skills and tools that push the envelope in modern electronic design. Western Pennsylvania has a strong base of SOC skill, and the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse is doing its part to invest in education, research, and the infrastructure necessary to make the Pittsburgh region a focal point of SOC design.

More information about the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse can be found at http://www.digitalgreenhouse.com

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