First Algerian electronic chip to be manufactured as from January 2014

Algeria will be able, as from January 2014, to manufacture its first electronic chip to be used in various areas of activity, announced Sunday in Algiers, general director of the Scientific Research and Technological Development Abdelhafid Aourag. "We will start as from January 2014, the manufacturing of all kinds of chips and we will be able to meet the demand of the social and economic sector in terms of electronic chips," Aourag told APS. Based at the Development Center of Advanced Renewable Energies (CDER), the electronic control unit where the chips will be manufactured reached "98 %" completion rate, while the tests of equipments will last "three months," Aourag said on the sidelines of the visit to Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Rachid Harraoubia to the CDER. He has also said that such chips will be manufactured in partnership with German operators at "the request and in line with the applications required by customers." "The equipments of this highly technological center were purchased through the national funds of research," the same official added. Besides, Aourag indicated that the cost of chip manufacturing is estimated at "10,000 dollars", while "its programming, deemed as very important, is worth $ 4 million." "All this work will be carried out in collaboration with US giant IBM," he stressed. As for the second phase of the chip manufacturing, it will be destined to the social and economic sector for "well-defined need," he pointed out.