Prof. Hisham Haddara

Prof. Hisham Haddara

President & CEO, Si-ware systems

Hisham Haddara is the founder of Si-Ware Systems (SWS), a leading fabless semiconductor company in Egypt. Prior to founding SWS in December 2003, he was with MEMScAP from May 2000 as EVP and President of MEMSCAP Egypt and was co-founder and first GM of ANACAD Egypt in 1994. By the end of 1994, ANACAD was acquired by Mentor Graphics Corporation (MGC) where he worked till May 2000 as GM of Mentor Graphics Egypt.

Hisham has been a professor of microelectronics at Ain-Shams University, Cairo till 2016. He has authored and co-authored two books, several patents and more than 100 scientific publications in International Journals and Conferences. He received his Ph.D. degree in Microelectronics from the National Polytechnic Institute, Grenoble, France in 1988. His Ph.D. research work won the best Ph.D. thesis award for the years 1987-88, awarded by the French National Scientific Research Center (CNRS).

Hisham is the founding chairman of the GSA-Egypt chapter and board member of EITESAL, (Egyptian Information, Telecommunications, Electronics & Software Alliance), the biggest technology NGO in Egypt. He is also a board member of the IT Industry Development Agency, ITIDA.

Hisham is currently leading a team to develop a national strategy for the semiconductors industry in Egypt under the umbrella of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

Hisham serves as advisor to the Minister of Scientific Research on innovation and heads a team to develop a national innovation policy for Egypt. He has been an expert on innovation with the ESCWA UN organization and is currently enrolled in the MIT REAP program at the MIT Sloan school of management as part of a national team to accelerate the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Cairo.

He currently serves on the board of directors of the National Science, Technology & Innovation Funding Authority and the board of and Zewail City for Science and Technology. He has also served as a member of the steering committee of Egypt-Japan University for Science and Technology as well as a member of the Engineering Education committee of the Supreme Council for Universities.

Hisham is chairman of the board and co-founder of Si-Ware Systems, Pearl Semi and Fab-Minds.