Intel, Insyde, and NTPU Jointly Develop UEFI Firmware Talent Training Program

Bridging higher education and industry practice to develop world-class UEFI firmware development talent for the future

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – July 12, 2022 - Intel and Insyde have joined hands with National Taipei University (NTPU) to offer the first UEFI firmware development training program. Insyde is responsible for the curriculum planning and teaching materials, and Intel is responsible for providing the hardware platform with Intel® Core™ processors. The UEFI development training program is being launched for the first time at NTPU to help interested university students understand how the UEFI firmware interface interacts with today's computer architecture, and to cultivate more firmware talent for Taiwan's robust information and communication industry and fulfill the corporate social responsibility.

UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) has replaced the traditional BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) in commonly used x86-based computers, and is responsible for initializing hardware at boot time and serving as a communication interface between hardware, firmware, and the operating system. UEFI has many features and advantages, including running in 32-bit/64-bit mode instead of the memory-constrained BIOS 16-bit real mode, and supporting secure boot functions. UEFI uses the C language and introduces the modular concept, which makes it easier for developers to modify and develop unique features. The current graphical UEFI interface of various motherboard brands is one of the examples.

Hardware requires well-designed firmware and software to maximize overall performance. Almost every electronic product requires firmware to function, such as USB chargers and power banks, which are often used in everyday life and have internal firmware to handle charging and discharging operations and safety protection mechanisms. Firmware development can be applied to all products, and UEFI development is particularly critical. Taiwan's growing information and communication industry has led to a strong demand for UEFI talent, and Intel, as a global industry leader, intends to help students connect with the industry and utilize the easily accessible MinPlatform open source for PC/server UEFI development, so that more talented people can engage in research easily, and plans to provide internship opportunities for young people with relevant experience and strengths.

Ken Lau, General Manager of Intel Taiwan, stated, "Intel has talent development programs at different levels in various countries around the world. We are very pleased to cooperate with Insyde in Taiwan to provide training programs for students from NTPU. Through this tripartite industry-academia cooperation, we not only help strengthen students' interest and education in firmware, but also help universities to meet the needs of the industry, and we believe we have the opportunity to bring abundant talents to the whole industry in the future.”

Both Intel and Insyde are founders and promoters of the UEFI Forum, and both have a strong background in UEFI. Insyde is the only UEFI solution provider headquartered in Taiwan and attaches great importance to the future development of UEFI in Taiwan, hoping to expand the quality and quantity of the future talent pool with this tripartite partnership. Insyde not only provides industry instructors, but also contributes teaching materials and self-developed H2ODDT system diagnostic and debugging tools for educational purposes. Students and developers can learn the status of the development platform through only one USB cable, replacing the traditional way of using expensive hardware to pull the cable to the development platform, significantly reducing the entry barrier and development time.

Aven Chuang, President of Insyde, said, "We have observed that more and more customers and partners have a need for more UEFI engineers, and Insyde is proud to have had the opportunity to provide students with insight into the career options related to this field through industry-academia collaboration over the years, turning their interest in technology into career success in system firmware. The program with NTPU emphasizes hands-on techniques, which is essential in nurturing the next generation of world-class UEFI engineers with innovative ideas, and we hope to be joined by more partners in Taiwan to develop more UEFI talent."

This UEFI training program was offered in the second semester of 2021 for the senior students of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering of NTPU. The program attracted 34 students, and even sophomores and juniors who had completed the required courses in programming, data structures, and algorithms, as well as students from other departments, enrolled in the program. In the past, the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering has focused more on operating systems and applications, but there is a lack of interaction with the underlying hardware. This program allows students to understand the needs of the industry, thus enabling them to transition to the workplace more smoothly. The 18-week program not only combines fundamental school education and academic development with hands-on work and industry application, but also provides students with 3 credits for passing the class criteria and helps them to acquire valuable project development experience.

Jen-Chun Chang, Professor of Computer Science and Information Engineering at NTPU said, "The training program offered by Insyde and Intel provides students with a great opportunity to gain exposure to the UEFI architecture and hands-on experience in developing software and drivers. By attending this industry-aligned course, students will not only increase the advantage of hands-on experience, but also become familiar with this promising career path."

It took over a year to discuss, prepare, review, and then start the course. The course covers UEFI firmware boot, Insyde platform customization and debugging, processor and system power management concepts from Intel, and most importantly, gives students hands-on experience with modern hardware and the skills necessary to maintain basic functionality and customization. This collaborative experience not only serves as a bridge between school education and industry experience, but also expands the potential talent pool for industry and, most importantly, adds a great chapter to the college graduate's resume!

About Intel

Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables global progress and enriches lives. Inspired by Moore’s Law, we continuously work to advance the design and manufacturing of semiconductors to help address our customers’ greatest challenges. By embedding intelligence in the cloud, network, edge and every kind of computing device, we unleash the potential of data to transform business and society for the better. To learn more about Intel’s innovations, go to newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.

© Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

About Insyde Software

Insyde Software (www.insyde.com) is a leading worldwide provider of UEFI firmware, systems management solutions and custom engineering services for companies in the mobile, server, desktop and IoT (Internet-of-Things) computing industries. The company is publicly held (6231.TWO) and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan with U.S. headquarters in Westborough, MA. The company’s customers include the world’s leading computing, communications and storage device designers and manufacturers.

Insyde is a registered trademark or trademark of Insyde Software in the United States and other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.


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E-mail:tina.hsiao@insyde.com

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