Republican Party of Armenia

 President Serzh Sargsyan received today the Chairman of Semiconductor Industry Association, President of the Techno Vision Company, former CEO of the Hitachi Company, and the recipient of the 2013 RA Presidential Award for Global Contribution in the Area of Information Technologies (IT) Tsugio Makimoto.“It’s a great honor for us to host and award one of the outstanding architects of the IT area of our times, whose achievements in that area have been groundbreaking and have influenced all areas of our life. Here, in Armenia we attach great importance to the development of IT area, and today it has become one of the fast developing areas,” President Serzh Sargsyan said at the meeting. He expressed confidence that Tsugo Makimoto’s visit to Armenia will foster our cooperation with Japan and at the same time will inspire Armenian specialists working in the area of information technologies, including those young people who are thinking of working in the future in that area.

Tsugo Makimoto expressed gratitude for the award and said that it was a great honor for him to be recognized in Armenia in such a way. “In the 21st century, information technologies have been playing a large and critical role in the race for winning the global competition. I wish that Armenia and Japan can find opportunities for cooperation in that area,” Tsugio Makimoto said. He said that would be staying in Armenia longer than he was initially planning and would like to familiarize closely with our country, the history, and culture of the Armenian people.

After the meeting, at the Presidential Palace there took place the ceremony of cancelling the stamps dedicated to the RA Presidential Award for Global Contribution in the Area of Information Technologies. One of the stamps depicts the RA Presidential Award for the global contribution in the Area of IT, the other shows the commemorative medal presented to the awardees, with the globe on the background which symbolizes a border-free world. Along with the two stamps, a postcard will be issued with the portraits of the three previous awardees.

In the evening, a reception will be held on the occasion of the RA Presidential Award Ceremony for Global Contribution in area of IT for year 2013 and in honor of Mr. Tsugio Makimoto and Mrs. Kumiko Makimoto.

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Additional Information on the RA Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies

Tsugio Mikamoto is the fourth recipient of the RA Presidential Award in the area of Information Technologies. The first one was awarded in 2010 to Craig R. Barrett, former Chairman of the Board of the Intel Corporation; the second was awarded in 2011 to a co-founder of the Apple Computers Corporation Steve Wozniak, and the third in 2012 – to the Honorary President of Synopsys Federico Faggin.

The RA Presidential Award in IT area was established by President Serzh Sargsyan’s July 6, 2009 decree and was aimed at fostering the development of this area. It is an annual award which is bestowed on the individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the area of information technologies and whose input – technological, educational, managerial, financial or other - has resulted or will result in substantial developments in the IT area.

The selection process in carried out by the Award Committee nominated by the President of Armenia and by the international selection commission. The Award comprises a medal commemorating Armenia and high technologies, a diploma and a memorial souvenir.

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Dr. Tsugio Makimoto
Retired CEO of Hitachi Electronic Device Group and Sr. Managing Director of Hitachi
Currently, the President of SSIS and Techno Vision
(A brief CV)

Dr. Makimoto has been one of the most effective visionaries of Japan’s IT industry. He has pushed the technology limits to bring the building blocks that have included advance semiconductors & display devices. These building blocks have enabled the electronics industry to develop and launch most of the electronics products that have changed the world, and impacted almost all aspects of our lives since 1970’s, and continue today and going forward. Last fifteen years, we have seen many paradigm shifting products and platforms, e.g. Smart Card, Smart Phones, e-books, Tablet PC’s, GPS navigation systems, Servers, PC’s, HDTV, Telecommunications, Robotics and Automation, Electronic Games, Mobile Products, Internet, Social Networking, and others yet to come.

His visionary models and projection let him to discover and publish the famous “Makimoto Wave” that relates to the cyclical nature of semiconductor industry.

Prior to his retirement from Hitachi, Dr. Makimoto has served as the CEO of Hitachi Electronic Device Group and Senior Executive Managing Director. Since then, he has stayed active in various distinguished positions in the high tech multinational and industry groups. These have included: Sr. Corporate Advisor of Sony Corporation, Member of Advisory Panel of National Science & Technology Board of Singapore, Board Director of Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing in Singapore, Member of Industry Advisory Board of UC Berkley, Chairman of PDF Solutions, also he was instrumental in establishing WSC (World SC Council).

Currently he is the president of SSIS (Society of Semiconductor Industry Specialists) and the founder & President of Techno Vision. He also holds senior advisory positions with several multinational companies: Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corp, Micronics Japan Corp and Nantero Corp. in USA.

Dr. Makimoto holds a BS in Applied Physics from University of Tokyo, MS in EE from Stanford University as well as Ph. D from University of Tokyo. He has been nominated and been an IEEE Fellow since 1997. He has been the recipient of many international awards, e.g. IR-100 Award, Ichimura Award and Bellwether Award. He is the author of several visionary books and other publications.