ITW - Peter Pfluger, CEO Tronics Microsystems

Context, ambition

The Minalogic global competitivity centre aims to:

• build Europe's leading centre, and one of the top three worldwide, for micro-smart devices. To achieve this it will consolidate and pool resources from industry, research and training in two key areas: micro and nanotechnology, and embedded systems-on-chip. Its ambitions reach far beyond existing technological advances or others covered by contracts with national and local government (in particular in nanoelectronics, with the Crolles II Alliance project, and in micro and nanotechnology, with Minatec). Minalogic will explore new materials for electronics and a new initiative, EmSoC (Embedded Systems on Chip), to master the technologies required to embed software on chips;

• to capitalize on these technological advances in industrial activities that can derive a competitive advantage from micro-smart devices.

The Minalogic centre thus sets out to contribute not only to developing a technological process but also to using it to boost competitivity and differentiation in the industrial sector, avoiding the need to relocate. It shifts the focus of industrial competition away from just production costs, which may prompt companies to relocate, and towards a more favourable terrain, namely innovation in products, faster time-to-market and more frequent renewal of the services provided.

Topics

The centre represents 30,000 jobs in Grenoble-Isère, of which more than 25,000 in industry. Almost 9,000 researchers are working on these topics, split half and half between public research and industry.

Minalogic is organized around two technology components:

• The micro and nanotechnology cluster: micro and nanotechnology, including materials, CAD and industrial processes;
• The embedded systems-on-chip (EmSOC) cluster: software and embedded systems-on-chip, and the industrial processes needed to capitalize on micro-smart devices.

The clusters consist of players from industry, research and higher education, and members of the Minalogic Partners organization, all working on the technological priorities set by the centre.

Players

The board of Minalogic Partners has six members:

• Schneider Electric
• STMicroelectronics
• Isère Departmental Council
• Polyspace Technologies
• Grenoble-INP
• CEA

The Minalogic Partners organization, which was started at the end of 2005, currently has 53 members:

• Corporate members: Atmel, BioMérieux, Bull, Ciba Speciality Chemicals, Dolphin Integration, France Télécom, Freescale, Gaz Électricité de Grenoble, MGE UPS Systems, Minatec Entreprises, Piolat, Philips Semiconductors, Polyspace Technologies, Radiall, A. Raymond, Scalagent, Schneider Electric, Silicomp, Sofileta, Sofradir, Sogeti (Capgemini), Soitec, STMicroelectronics, Thales Avionics LCD, Thales Electron Devices, Trixell, Tronic’s Microsystems, Ulis, Xerox
• Research centres: CEA-Grenoble, Grenoble-INP, CNRS, Inria Rhône-Alpes, UJF, UPMF.
• Local authorities and enterprise boards: Grenoble-Isère Economic Development Agency (AEPI), Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, Isère County Council, Drôme County Council, Haute-Savoie County Council, Loire County Council, Grenoble Urban Area Council (Métro), Voiron District Council (CAPV), Mid-Grésivaudan District Council (Cosi), Annecy Urban Area Council, Saint-Etienne Urban Area Council, Grenoble City Council, Crolles Town Council, Bourgoin-Jallieu Town Council, Grenoble Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIG), Greater Valence District Council, Udimec, Sitelesc.

Certified projects

The projects certified under the Minalogic project meet four challenges:

1. Anticipating technological breakthroughs in nanoelectronics;
2. Mastering the design of complex circuits;
3. Interfacing chips with their environment;
4. Mastering development tools for smart micro-devices

Certified projects can be found on www.minalogic.com

Some exemples: Nanosmart center, led by Soitec ; Imalogic (Professional imagers) , led by Sofradir ; Minimage (Consumer imagers) and Foremost, led by STMicroelectronics ;Smart Electricity, led by Schneider Electric or Printronics (large scale ecltronics), led by Sofileta

Your AEPI contact: Nicolas BEROUD

More info: www.minalogic.com