DEC is to join the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina at Research Triangle Park as an affiliate: as part of the affiliation agreement, DEC will have the opportunity to second resident professionals to the Central Laboratory in Research Triangle Park where more than 150 visiting scientists, industry professionals, professors, researchers and Center employees conduct semiconductor manufacturing research and technology development; the Center is a non-profit consortium formed to support state universities and the Research Triangle Institute and to accelerate transfer of research to industry.