Cleanroom in CEA-Léti - ©Artechnique

Under the French government’s economic stimulus package (“Invest in the Future”), six technology research institutes will be created to pool existing public and private research facilities and support them with new resources. These multi-disciplinary institutes will focus on developing marketable technologies. The international selection jury gave top marks to Grenoble’s proposal for a nanoelectronics institute, confirming the city’s leading position in this burgeoning field. The new institute will help Grenoble reach its goal of becoming one of the world’s top three hubs for micro and nanotechnology.
A total of €460 million will be invested in the nanoelectronics institute over ten years. Half of the funding will come from the private sector. The institute will run three major research programs:

• The Core Technology Program, which will cover 3D assembly, nanophotonics on silicon, and liaison technologies, as well as a characterization platform for the research performed under the program
• The Technology Transfer Program, which will help bolster the economy by encouraging the creation of small businesses and the growth of medium-sized technology firms
• The Education and Training Program, which will help meet the industry’s human resources needs

The institute is expected to create some 8,000 jobs in addition to the 39,000 hardware and software jobs already in the area. Thanks to the new research institute, Grenoble is well-positioned to remain Europe’s leading center for micro and nanotechnologies.