2024 IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal recipient and Panelist on the CHIPS Act Panel
Ming-Kai (MK) Tsai initially planned to be a rocket scientist, but instead, his engineering degree and ambition led him to play a pivotal role in democratizing technology advancements for billions of people around the world. As Chairman of MediaTek, Ming-Kai Tsai has driven semiconductor design and technology advancements to enhance everyday life. He is fully committed to research and development initiatives in the latest technologies such as 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and NTN satellite communications to bring fast, reliable connectivity to smartphones, smart homes, cars, and many other devices across a range of price points, so everyone can have access to great technology. Under Ming-Kai Tsai’s leadership, MediaTek also ushered in groundbreaking AI advancements so connected devices can deliver smarter, personalized, and intuitive user experiences. With Ming-Kai Tsai at the helm, MediaTek is now the world’s 5th largest global fabless semiconductor company, powering more than two billion devices a year.
Throughout his career, Ming-Kai Tsai has invested in technology and people. He’s worked to make STEM education more accessible. He has overseen many initiatives though the MediaTek Foundation, which has sponsored students’ science fair projects, hackathons, training programs for teachers, and educational programs for girls. Additionally, Ming-Kai Tsai is passionate about helping people use technology to give back to their local communities. Over the past six years, the MediaTek Foundation’s Genius for Home competition has received more than 2,000 proposals with participants sharing their ideas for environmental programs, healthcare services, food safety projects, and much more.
Ming-Kai Tsai has also led MediaTek to collaborate with major universities worldwide, nurturing thousands of IC design professionals to cultivate the next generation of STEM talent. These collaborations have led to many new innovations which have been published at top industry conferences and journals.
Ming-Kai Tsai has received many awards and accolades for his industry contributions, including the Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award from Global Semiconductor Association in 2015 and the ITRI Laureate Award from Industrial Technology Research Institute in 2012. Additionally, he has been granted honorary doctoral degrees from the National Taiwan University, the National Tsing Hua University, and the National Chiao Tung University.
Ming-Kai Tsai received his BSEE from National Taiwan University, and a MSEE from the University of Cincinnati, USA. Prior to the start of MediaTek in 1997, Ming-Kai Tsai’s early career was as an IC Design Manager at Taiwan’s prominent Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and then as President of a Product Business Group at the United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC).