European regions create consortium for energy-efficient ICT electronics

Date
10/14/2012

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Click image to enlarge: Europe's triple helix consortia of Dresden, Eindhoven, Grenoble, and Leuven.

Barely a month before Electronica opens in Munich, the four leading European micro- and nano-electronics regions have announced combining their R&D and production expertise to form a transnational research-driven cluster for leadership of energy-efficient ICT (information and communication technology) electronics. The cluster comprises four national consortia that all have established structures for close cooperation of research, business, and the authorities, fullfilling the requirements of a triple helix consortium. These are Silicon Saxony around Infineon, Dresden (Germany), Point-One of Philips, Eindhoven (Netherlands), Minalogic around STMicroelectronics in Grenoble (France), and the DSP Valley centred on Imec, Leuven (Belgium). Together they comprise about 800 research institutes and companies, more than 150,000 jobs, and several global market leaders such as STMicroelectronics , Philips, NXP, Globalfoundries, Infineon, Schneider Electric, and Thales.  "We want to set up a joint action plan that is organised between the four clusters in the third year. We also want to start implementing this action plan. It's not only about creating paper, but action. In addition, we want to involve if possible, additional European players," said Silicon Europe's administrator Frank Bösenberg at a Dresden press conference. There are 800 members in all (297 in Silicon Saxony, 204 in Minalogic,170 in Point-One, and 75 in DSP Valley), with more than 75%  being SMEs and accounting for more than 150,000 jobs, covering more than 60% of the respective jobs in Europe.??Highly relevant research organisations include imec (BE), CEA-Leti (F) and Fraunhofer (D) as well as the large companies such as Philips, NXP, Globalfoundries, Infineon, Thales and STMicroelectronics who all are active in the partner clusters. The established local cluster structures are close. In Dresden, all respective partners are represented formally by Silicon Saxony.

Silicon Europe's objective focus Promotion of micro- and nano-electronics as KETs (Key Enabling Technology) for traditional industry, unlocking new answers to the major societal challenge on energy efficiency are the key objectives. This will be supported by the development of a new communication concept on the strategic importance of micro- and nano-electronics. Securing European know-how for Europe: using inter-cluster synergies and complementarities with research institutes and universities, for access to the newest technologies and to highly qualified competencies and staff, with fabless design houses for the development of new functions and architectures for micro- and nano-electronics, and with value-adding system integrators for the market valorisation.   Opening up new markets and boosting competitiveness especially of SMEs by ?improving innovation and technology transfer from research to market, and by developing?an internationalization strategy inside and outside Europe, supported by the creation of a?common identity for a (virtual) European semiconductor cluster. Due to the emergence of developing and transitioning countries—particularly China and India—and the resulting rise in living standards of the population, world energy demand is dramatically increasing. By 2030, an increase by 50% to 160 PWh is forecast, and there will be another doubling to 321 PWh by 2050. There are several approaches to address this challenge, and considerable achievements have? been made already. For instance, in the field of energy efficiency, the first nine measures under ?the Eco Design Directive are expected to reduce power consumption by some 340 GWh by 2020 (i.e. the equivalent of the output of 77 typical power stations). Other EU policies, notably access to financing for energy efficiency under the Cohesion and Structural Funds are also creating positive results. France, for instance, will use available EU funds to reduce energy consumption by more than 50% per square meter of its building stock.  However, the existing efforts are not sufficient. ??High energy-efficiency scenario to be met All scenarios within the Energy Roadmap to 2050 show electricity will have to play a much greater role than now, almost doubling its share in final energy demand to 36 to 39% by 2050, and will have to contribute to the decarbonisation of transport and heating and cooling.  Electricity could provide about 65% of the energy demands of passenger cars and light duty vehicles, as shown in all decarbonisation scenarios. Final electricity demand increases even in the high energy-efficiency scenario. Consequently, according to the Roadmap, prime focus should remain on energy efficiency. Therefore, improving energy efficiency is a priority in all decarbonisation scenarios and thus also one of the major challenges with regard to the flagship initiative of a resource efficient Europe. Silicon Saxony Minalogic DSP Valley

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