The Minister of Research and Universities visits IMB-CNM and highlights its contribution “to position Catalonia among the strategic industries of the 21st century”
Joaquim Nadal, Minister of Research and Universities of the Generalitat of Catalonia, meets with the management of the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) and visits the scientific facilities located at the UAB. The center deploys cutting-edge research in micro and nano systems applied to advanced technologies, health and environment, energy or mobility, among others.
From left to right: Lluís Calvo, Joan Gómez Pallarès, Rosa Maria Sebastian, Joaquim Nadal and Luis Fonseca.
The Minister for Research and Universities, Joaquim Nadal i Farreras, visited this morning the headquarters of the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC), a CSIC research center specialized in research and development in micro and nanotechnologies , components and systems located on the campus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).
The councilor held a working meeting with the centre's management, headed by the director Luis Fonseca, in which the vice-rector of Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship of the UAB, Rosa Maria Sebastian, the General Director of Research, Joan Gómez Pallarès, and the delegate of the CSIC in Catalonia, Lluís Calvo. The head of Research and Universities had the opportunity to learn about the research priorities of the IMB-CNM-CSIC and, once the meeting was over, he took a tour of the center's scientific facilities.
He also highlighted the impact of IMB-CNM-CSIC's research and its contribution to "position Catalonia in the leading group of societies and economies in Europe and the world, in a game board where the strategic industries in the 21st century are those of advanced electronics, quantum technologies or supercomputing, for example". For his part, the director of IMB-CNM-CSIC, Fonseca, reiterated "the will to continue contributing to strengthen the Catalan semiconductor ecosystem and its applications, not only through research and the transfer of results, but also through the training of new professionals".
Cutting-edge electronic applications
The Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona is the largest center in Spain dedicated to the research and development of micro and nano technologies for electronic applications. Belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) since its foundation in 1985, the center has unique capabilities in silicon technology and complementary or related materials for the manufacture of chips, both for microsystems and integrated circuits.
Member of the Barcelona-Bellaterra Nanotechnology Cluster and the UAB Research Park, its staff is made up of 207 professionals, 71 of whom are researchers coordinated in eight research groups. The research in micro and nano systems carried out at IMB-CNM-CSIC is applied in the fields of advanced technologies and processes; health and environment; energy and mobility; and frontiers of physics and civil security.
This cutting-edge research is mainly carried out in its integrated Micro- and Nanofabrication Clean Room. Its 1,500 m2 of high technology make it the largest of its kind in Spain, being the main node of the Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS) distributed MICRONANOFABS.
The center's budget of 11 million euros is funded by 45% of competitive projects and contracts, 40% of which are of international origin. The institute is among the 10 most successful CSIC centers in terms of projects in the European H2020 program. The center is also very dynamic in terms of knowledge transfer activity, with the start-up of 14 spin-off companies and the generation of seven patents per year.
- From left to right, Luis Calvo, CSIC delegate in Catalonia; Joan Gómez Pallarès, director general of Research; Rosa Maria Sebastian, vice-rector of Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship at UAB; Joaquim Nadal, councilor of Research and Universities; and Luis Fonseca, director of IMB-CNM-CSIC.
- Working meeting with the minister and his team.
- Minister Nadal signs the IMB-CNM book of honor.
- Minister Nadal, Luis Fonseca and Miguel Zabala in the Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room, Photolithography area.
- Nadal and Luis Fonseca in the Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room, Wet Etching area.
- Nadal and Luis Fonseca in the Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room.
- Nadal and Luis Fonseca in the Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room.
- Nadal and Luis Fonseca in the Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room, ventilation tubes area.