HTA is on the Road Towards Joint European Research for Microtechnologies, Nanoelectronics and Smart Systems

Any solutions to the current economic crises in Europe must include competitive manufacturing in the Europe of the future. This will only be possible through key enabling technologies (KETs). The Heterogeneous Technology Alliance (HTA), the largest European partnership in science and technology, launched by four leading European research and technology organizations, is a unique contributor and a forerunner in strengthening European industrial competitiveness and technological leadership. CSEM, CEA-Leti, CEA-Liten, Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics and VTT are participating.

On Nov. 3-4, about 60 key players from four European countries met in Berlin for the first General Assembly of the HTA. During this two-day meeting, the central aim of the talks and discussions was to move forward in aligning research strategies, and to identify new approaches for an efficient transfer of research results and technologies to successful commercial applications.

Micro- and nanoelectronics have been identified as one of the most relevant key enabling technologies (KETs) by a high-level expert group as part of the KET Initiative of the European Commission. Micro- and nanoelectronics play an outstanding role in today’s economic development in nearly all industrial sectors.

In particular, the European strengths in mechanical, automotive, and medical engineering are based on the competitive advantage gained from innovation in micro- and nanoelectronics, as well as the related MEMS technologies. This innovation must be maintained and extended. As an example, we are rapidly approaching the point where more than 50% of the value of a car is made up of electronics and ICT systems. In other words, cars are becoming electronic devices with mechanics ‒ we can even say that today’s cars are chipsets with four wheels.

HTA is a common platform for pooling the technological and system-oriented expertise of the four partners. The Alliance offers competitive and sustainable product development to European industry and strengthens key enabling technologies. HTA ensures access to high-end micro- and nanoelectronics and MEMS technologies, especially for small- and medium-sized European enterprises (SMEs) which helps to maintain their global competitiveness. HTA functions as a one-stop-shop. For example, a common technology platform on MEMS facilitates research, pilot production and actual production of the components required in smart systems.

During the two-day-meeting, the course towards a joint European future was set. Basic challenges such as a common research infrastructure and aligned research strategies of the four partners were discussed with the overall goal of maintaining and strengthening the technological basis for the key enabling technologies – microtechnologies and nanoelectronics – as well as smart systems.