Dr. Xiangyu Guo, Assistant Professor in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks at Arizona State University, recently took part in I-Corps Immerse: SEMICON West 2025, a hands-on learning experience built to help researchers and innovators sharpen their customer discovery skills and explore early-stage problems connected to their technologies. This I-Corps Hub Desert and Pacific Region course paired NSF I-Corps™ regional training with an on-site experience at SEMICON West in Phoenix, Arizona. Travel and registration support made it possible for participants to conduct on-the-ground customer discovery work, gather industry insights, and connect with leaders across the semiconductor ecosystem. We spoke with Professor Guo about their team’s experience and what they learned through I-Corps Immerse.

What motivated you to join the I-Corps Immerse course?

As a new faculty member at ASU, I took the I-Corps Immerse course to see if my early-stage semiconductor metrology ideas had any commercial value and to learn how academic research can be useful in the real world more quickly. I wanted to meet new people, expand my network, and improve my business skills to go along with my technical skills. I-Corps gave me a structured way to test my ideas, learn from people who work in the industry, and make sure that the solutions I come up with as a new faculty member really do benefit the understanding towards important manufacturing processes and problems.

Beyond my own development, I saw I-Corps as an opportunity for my students  — Vikrant Vivek Deo, graduate student, and Alexander Liu, undergraduate student — to be exposed to an entrepreneurial and industry-centered environment, improving their critical thinking, communication skills, and awareness of how their research can address real world challenges.

What was the biggest insight you gained from customer discovery?

The most important thing I learned was how difficult and complicated customer pain points are in semiconductor metrology. I initially believed that performance alone would generate interest; however, discussions with customers revealed that they prioritize throughput, tool integration, workflow disruption, cost justification, and risk mitigation equally with accuracy. Hearing this directly from stakeholders helped me understand that customer value is not one-dimensional. As a new faculty member who is deciding what to research, it’s important for me to base my ideas on real needs in the field so that the solutions I come up with are useful and easy to use.

Did the course change your direction or thinking in any way?

Yes. I still have a long-term vision, but now I think about it in terms of who has the problem, why it matters, and how a solution needs to fit into the way things are made right now. The experience helped me focus my research priorities and make sure that my first faculty projects meet proven industry needs, which makes them more useful and easier to understand in terms of strategy.

What part of the experience did you find most valuable, including anything connected to attending SEMICON West?

The most useful part was being able to get to the semiconductor and photonics ecosystem directly. At SEMICON West, I got to meet people from all over the industry, including fabs, tool suppliers, startups, and investors. I also got to see how quickly the industry is changing. These conversations helped me better understand unmet needs, figure out where my metrology innovation could fit, and grow my network much more than I could have on my own. The experience helped me see how ASU’s research work fits into real conversations in the business world.

How has the course helped you with your project or next steps?

The course helped me improve my project by making the value proposition clearer, finding early adopters, and learning about the performance metrics that are most important to customers. This advice is very helpful because it keeps me from going down development paths that aren’t relevant to the industry and instead helps me make a strategic roadmap based on input from stakeholders. I now have a better idea of what to do next in terms of engagement, technical milestones, and possible paths to commercialization and funding.

What would you say to someone thinking about joining an I-Corps course?

If they want to be clear, get direction, and get real validation, I-Corps is one of the most life-changing things they can do. It makes you question your assumptions, really listen to your customers, and understand the real world where your ideas will have to work. It also gives you tools and connections that speed up the process of turning a research idea into a useful solution. I-Corps will change the way you think about innovation and make your work much more relevant if you are open-minded and willing to learn.

Watch On the Ground at SEMICON West: The I-Corps Immersive Experience to learn more about I-Corps Immerse, and visit our website to discover how you can take part in future opportunities.