• Collaboration with industrial partners
• Cooperation with research centers
• Cooperation with universities
• National initiatives
• European initiatives
• European projects

Collaboration with industrial partners

To develop innovative solutions and new commercial products, CSEM has also established joint venture programs on specific technology platforms with industrial customers. In some cases this cooperation can be formalized by the configuration of framework contracts, as is the case with Ciba SC /BASF, as well as with other large corporations (treated as confidential information under the terms and conditions of the agreement).

Furthermore, as a low-power ASIC design provider CSEM is now a design partner of TowerJazz - the global specialty foundry / wafer manufacturer strategically focused on RF, high-performance analog, power, and imaging solutions.

Cooperation with research centers

Cooperative research with other R&D organizations has brought valuable services to customers thanks to our long-term collaborative research strategy.

To be prepared for future demands, CSEM has built a strong partnership and networking platform for industrial customers called the Heterogeneous Technology Alliance (HTA), with four major European research institutes: the CEA (in particular the Leti, Liten and List research labs) in France, the FhG (Germany) and VTT (Finland). The objectives of this wide-ranging agreement are:

• to develop innovative solutions and products for industry
• to establish joint research programs
• to coordinate investments in equipment
• to provide access to common research laboratories

In 2008, these three European research and development institutions, together with CSEM, created 4-Labs, a service company intended to promote the partners' capabilities, expertise and technologies.

CSEM also maintains privileged relationships with the main Swiss research centers such as EMPA - a materials science and technology research institution - and the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), as well as through the Swiss-French platform MIND, dedicated to microelectronics and mechatronics.

Cooperation with universities

Building strategic alliances and partnerships with academic partners is crucial in order:

• to enhance our research capability with the creation and exchange of know-how
• to develop effective research partnerships thanks to cooperation within educational programs
• to channel rapid industrialization of ideas and academic results
• to nurture new talent and expertise through the training and financing of PhD students

In particular with our academic partner EPFL (Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne), we cooperate closely in the field of microsystems, providing full technology development services through the CMI - the Center for MicroNanotechnology.

Our academia network also includes the ETH in Zurich and the universities of applied sciences in Switzerland (HES).

National initiatives

• Alpict in information & communication technologies
• BioAlps in healthcare & life sciences
• CCMX, the competence center for materials science and technology
• MCCS, the micro center Central Switzerland
• Micronarc and Swiss MNT Network in the field of micro- & nanotechnology
• Space Center, which federates and promote space activities
• Swissmem, which unites the Swiss engineering, electrical and metal industry and associated technology-oriented sectors

European initiatives

• ARTEMIS - Advanced research & technology for embedded intelligence & systems
• EARTO - European association for research and technology organizations
• ENIAC - European nanoelectronics initiative advisory council
• EPoSS - European technology platform on smart systems integration
• EUCEMAN - European center for micro- and nanoreliability
• EUROPRACTICE Alliance Partner Network - a network of design houses that work together with the EUROPRACTICE IC Service - offering ASIC prototype and small volume turnkey solutions to the customer
• EUROSTARS - European joint programme dedicated to the R&D performing SMEs, and co-funded by the European Communities and 33 EUREKA member countries
• Photonics21 - Technology platform for photonics in Europe
• FET Flagship Pilots
  • Gardian Angels for a smarter life

European Projects