Pushkar Apte

Global Lead for Smart Data-AI Initiative & Strategic Technology Advisor
SEMI
San Jose, CA, United States

Dr. Apte leads the Global Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative and serves as Strategic Technology Advisor at SEMI, the electronics industry consortium representing 3500 companies worldwide. His work focuses on the synergy between semiconductors & AI – specifically on building energy-efficient AI systems, and on the application of AI-powered digital twins for mission-critical applications like semiconductor R&D and manufacturing.

Dr. Apte received his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University in Materials Science and Electrical Engineering, and his Bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi, India in Ceramic Engineering. Dr. Apte also holds an Executive M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University.
Dr. Apte has worked with Texas Instruments Incorporated on cutting-edge research and technology development for semiconductors; with McKinsey & Company where he helped launch their Semiconductor Practice and served as the Global Semiconductor Business Expert, and with the Semiconductor Industry Association as Vice President of Technology. Dr. Apte has also served as Director of Strategic Initiatives at the University of California, Berkeley, where he developed industry-academic partnerships to implement AI-driven solutions for sustainable growth.

Dr. Apte has 60+ publications and presentations in prestigious international journals, conferences, and institutions, including several Invited Papers. He received the Norman Hackerman Young Author Award from the Electrochemical Society for Best Paper in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society, and the Graduate Student Award from the Materials Research Society for Outstanding Research Performance. Dr. Apte also holds 2 U.S. Patents.