More than 70 years after the Lehigh Valley jumpstarted America's technological revolution, the region is poised once again to help bolster the nation's technological future.
The big reason why? The people. The region has a bounty of engineers, designers, scientists, and other experts who are making cutting-edge advancements.
Some of that talent will be featured during a powerhouse panel discussion that will be the highlight of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.’s Fall Signature Event, presented by Intel, on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. at Iacocca Hall on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem. 
Room capacity is limited; click here to register while space is available.
The event, "Lehigh Valley’s Technology Sector: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," celebrates the storied history and bright future of the semiconductor industry in the region.
LVEDC has lined up panelists who are part of the Lehigh Valley’s semiconductor legacy, which dates back to the first commercial transistor production at Western Electric’s Allentown Works on Union Boulevard in the 1950s. More importantly, they are key contributors in a thriving technology sector positioned for a major resurgence as the federal government emphasizes domestic development, design, and production of semiconductors.
The Lehigh Valley has more than 30 semiconductor-related companies that employ 1,500 people. A regional consortium led by LVEDC recently applied for designation under the CHIPS and Science Act as one of 20 U.S. Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs. The federal government is looking for regions across the country with the assets, resources, and capacity to become globally competitive centers for the technologies and industries of the future.
Don Cunningham, LVEDC’s President and CEO, will moderate the technology panel, which includes this lineup of Lehigh Valley tech industry leaders:
Ed Pullin, IP Marketing Director in Intel’s Network Edge Group, a 23-year Intel veteran who has held multiple architecture and strategic product management roles for communications products. Before joining Intel, he worked for Lucent Microelectronics’ Broadband Division and began his career as a chip designer for Unisys. He holds six patents in input/output communications and security architectures.
Doug Dopp, Senior Director of Manufacturing for Broadcom, is the senior leader at the company’s wafer fabrication facility in Breinigsville, which produces optical semiconductors used in AI datacenters and for wireless networks. He has more than 30 years of experience in high-volume semiconductor manufacturing, supply chain, and research and development.
Mark Granahan, Founder and CEO of iDEAL Semiconductor, is a technology executive and materials scientist with more than 35 years of experience. He founded iDEAL in 2017 to reinvent the power device architecture and create more sustainable and efficient electronics. He was an executive with Texas Instruments and Lucent Microelectronics, and was founder and CEO of Ciclon Semiconductor, whose products were used in Apple’s iPhone and high-performance server designs at Google and Amazon.
Wayne Barz, Chief Investment Officer for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, oversees a team of seven people who support a portfolio of 175 tech companies in 21 Pennsylvania counties that has received nearly $25 million in funding from Ben Franklin and more than $305 million in outside private capital and federal grants. In his prior role managing the Ben Franklin TechVentures incubator program on the Lehigh University campus, he helped launch more than 120 tech startup companies.
“The Lehigh Valley has been a leader in the development of semiconductors and associated technologies,” Cunningham said. “We played an important historical role in the industry’s development, have a growing base of companies today, and are poised to help lead a U.S. resurgence in the future.”
Intel, the global technology company that employs about 300 semiconductor designers in the Lehigh Valley, is presenting sponsor for the event.
The cocktail sponsor is Klunk & Millan. Gold sponsors are International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 375, J.G. Petrucci Co., Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Service Electric, and Workforce Board Lehigh Valley. Silver sponsors are B Braun Medical, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Boyle Construction, BSI Corporate Benefits, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, Murray Hill Group, and St. Luke’s University Health Network.
Sponsorship opportunities are available. For details, contact Stephanie Wean, LVEDC Program Manager, for information.
The event begins at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3:30. A networking reception will follow the program until 6 p.m.
Due to limited space, the free event is open only to those actively employed in the Lehigh Valley. Those registering to attend will be asked to provide their name, job title, and the name of their employer. Click here to register.