The IMB-CNM gathers in Barcelona the key microelectronics agents of Spain
The Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM, CSIC) will hold the second Innovation Day on November 27th to promote the transfer between science and industry. Representatives from the administration, research centers, public-private organizations, and the CSIC will come together to discuss the future of the sector and the development of the semiconductor ecosystem in Spain.
On Wednesday, November 27th, the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) is organizing the second Innovation Day: Km 0 Chips, at the Exe Campus Hotel in Cerdanyola. The objective is to promote the transfer of the institute's technology to the industry, foster new collaborations, and generate dialogue on the demands of microelectronics in sectors such as health, environment, and energy. To this end, the IMB-CNM invites companies, research centers, and representatives from the Administration to share their needs and establish collaboration pathways.
The event will discuss the current state of microelectronics at both regional and national levels, as well as the goals to ensure the sector's growth. Furthermore, several success stories from the collaboration between IMB-CNM and the industry will be highlighted, and the ISO 9001:2015 certification (acknowledging the effectiveness of a quality management system) obtained by the IMB-CNM’s Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room for the design, development, and production of devices based on micro and nanoelectronic technologies will be presented.
The second edition follows the success of the first one in 2022, and is close to the institute's 40th anniversary and after the recent accreditation as a María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence by the Spanish State Research Agency.
The event will feature Luis Fonseca, director of the institute, and Ana Castro, Vice President of Innovation and Technology Transfer at CSIC.
The evolution of the microelectronics ecosystem
In an increasingly digitized society, the demand for chips grows as new technologies advance, requiring more sophisticated and efficient manufacturing. In 2020, one trillion microchips (a trillion in the European sense, one million billion) were produced worldwide, with only 10% manufactured in Europe. The European Chips Act aims to achieve 20% of the global market share by 2030.
To achieve this, Spain has begun taking significant steps to strengthen its technological sovereignty and position itself within the industry. One of the goals of the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE Chip) is to increase national production capacity, with the government planning an investment of approximately €10 billion to attract a major manufacturer.
Meanwhile, the IMEC technology research center (Interuniversity Microelectronics Center) has announced the creation of a manufacturing plant in Málaga with the support of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration and the Regional Government of Andalusia. In Catalonia, the Alliance of Semiconductors and Chips has been established, exploring a new Lab-to-Fab installation in the Parc de l'Alba (Innofab).
For this reason, one of the roundtables will be dedicated to the evolution of the microelectronics ecosystem with key players: Jaime Martorell (Vice President of the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation, SETT, which oversees Perte Chip’s initiatives), Roger Costa (Alliance of Semiconductors and Chips in Catalonia), Thomas Kallstenius (IMEC), and José Antonio Garrido (Innofab, ICREA professor at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, ICN2).
In 2020, one trillion microchips were produced worldwide, of which only 10% were made in Europe. The European Chips Act aims to achieve 20% of the global chip market share by 2030.
Success stories from IMB-CNM's collaboration with the industry
Four success stories resulting from joint work with companies will be presented, featuring Rosendo Garganta, CEO of Devicare; Mikel Pérez from Fagor Electrónica S. Coop; Germán Vergara, Technical Director at New Infrared Technologies (NIT); and Alberto Hernández, Scientific Director at Arrays for Cell Nanodevices S. L. (a4cell).
With Devicare, IMB-CNM has collaborated on developing and commercializing a new therapy for kidney stone patients based on urinary pH control to minimize the recurrence of stone formation. This device, now on the market, incorporates a sensor developed by IMB-CNM, still manufactured in the Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room.
IMB-CNM and Fagor Electrónica S. Coop have maintained a long-standing partnership that fosters innovation. This includes creating various power devices, implementing training courses, and participating in the Economic Interest Group D+T Microelectronics, part of the Mondragon Group.
New Infrared Technologies (NIT), a company specializing in high-speed infrared imaging cameras, has collaborated with IMB-CNM for 15 years. NIT develops MWIR (mid-wave infrared) photoconductive detectors based on lead and selenium (PbSe), which are then integrated at low cost onto readout integrated circuits (ROICs) designed by IMB-CNM.
IMB-CNM's research has also led to the creation of more than twelve spin-offs over the past decade, including Arrays for Cell (a4cell) in 2018, supported by an investment group. A4Cell develops SPAchip technology, silicon microdevices manufactured in the IMB-CNM Clean Room to monitor key biological parameters inside cells without affecting their viability.
Sector needs in microelectronics
Daniela Bassignana, IMB-CNM’s Quality Management System leader, will present the ISO 9001:2015 accreditation. Gonzalo Murillo, 2023 National Research Award for Young Researchers 'Ángela Ruiz Robles' in Technology Transfer, IMB-CNM researcher, and co-founder of the spin-off Energiot, based in the UAB Research Park, will give a motivational talk on his career and the development of smart materials for harvesting ambient energy.
The event will also feature a roundtable discussion on the current needs of the sector, with representatives from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), MSTECH EUROPE, Energiot Devices S. L., IDEADED, S. L., and MONOCROM S. L., moderated by Cecilia Jiménez, IMB-CNM researcher and co-founder of the tech-based company Aiquos.
Four success stories resulting from joint work with prominent companies such as Devicare, Fagor Electrónica S. Coop, New Infrared Technologies (NIT), and Arrays for Cell Nanodevices S. L. (a4cell) will be presented.
Research thematic axes
Throughout the day, six exhibition tables will showcase the technological offers from the institute's research thematic axes. These include the Energy and Mobility, Physics Frontiers and Civil Security, Health and Environment, and the Unit of Advanced Technologies and Processes for Micro and Nanosystems. Additionally, the event will feature the Unique Science and Technology Infrastructure (ICTS) network of Micronanofabs, a network of clean rooms dedicated to Micro-Nano Fabrication and Photonics, and the Economic Interest Group D+T Microelectronics.
After lunch, individual meetings with researchers can be arranged to establish connections between companies and the institute. To conclude the event, attendees will have the opportunity to visit the IMB-CNM facilities.
More than ten spin-offs and over 40 patents
IMB-CNM has a long history of technology transfer, contributing to implementing micro and nanoelectronic technology-based solutions in industrial products. It is the cradle of tech-based companies still active today, such as Inbrain Neuroelectronics or Fuelium, and holds multiple patents and trade secrets.
IMB-CNM houses Spain’s largest Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room, unique in silicon technologies. It is the main node of the ICTS, a label awarded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, and is considered a strategic asset within the national Perte Chip program.