General Chair´s welcome

The 43rd ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference´s technical program, which received a record 865 regular paper submissions, includes hot topics such as low power, DFM, and ESL among many others. This year, it sees an increase in design papers and includes two new topics: beyond-the-die, and emerging technologies. Overall, the program contains more than 200 technical presentations in 11 tracks, eight technical program panels, seven special sessions, and seven fullday tutorials - all led by widely respected industry experts. Full-day tutorials are being held Monday and Friday, and cover a wide range of topics including DFM, verification, ESL, embedded systems, chip-package co-design, and test. DAC is highlighting a special MEGa theme - Multimedia, Entertainment, and Games - found throughout the program in all three keynotes, several pavilion sessions, and in a full day of technical sessions on Wednesday. Topics will range from issues faced in the design of the iPod, to technology requirements for 3D graphics in feature films, to power management for next-generation media applications. This promises to be an exciting part of the program as the topic is timely, exposes cutting-edge problems, and touches everyone´s lives.