CICS, Centre for Integrated Circuits and Systems​ is jointly funded by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) (previously named VIRTUS), aims to be a world-class IC design house, developing key technologies required to design integrated circuits and systems for applications in medical technology, clean technology and consumer electronics. The centre brings together key actors from IP, fabless, semiconductor, system houses and design industry to build a vision of the next step in analog/digital/mixed integrated circuit and system design. The centre’s research activities can be broadly divided into the following major areas, namely analog, mixed‐signal, power management and data converters; energy harvesting; low‐power RF and mm‐wave ICs; and new technology directions such as 3D‐integration and physical design; 3D RF and mixed‐signal circuits; and terahertz ICs etc.. 

The set up of CICS is in line with Singapore’s four new growth areas in the electronics sector - green electronics, bioelectronics, plastic electronics and security. In the near future, consumers can look forward to electronic devices such as laptops, PDAs and mobile phones that are ultra-low powered or self-powered. This is made possible with power management and energy harvesting technologies which are critical elements for power optimisation and higher energy efficiency in electronic devices and systems. 

Seven top American, European and Chinese universities have signed memoranda of understanding with CICS to collaborate in joint research in IC design. These seven universities are University of Michigan; Purdue University; University of California, Los Angeles, or UCLA; Technical University Munich; Linköping University; Zhejiang University; and Fudan University. 

Besides academic collaborations, CICS has also forged close partnerships with leading industry players including Mediatek, Agilent Technologies, Verigy, SiliconCore Technology, United Microelectronics Corporation, Infineon, Broadcom Corporation and A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics. In addition, six organisations have pledged to contribute five-and-a-half million Singapore dollars to CICS to carry out advanced IC design research. The six are A*STAR Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd, Infineon, Mediatek, SilconCore Technology, Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company and Verigy. 

CICS will continue to establish joint collaboration with world renowned universities, top research institutions and well-known companies in its pursuit of excellence in research and development in IC design and technology.​​​​