Minalogic : Pole de competitivite Grenoble Isère

Grenoble - A High-tech Hub

With one of the most dynamic and prosperous economies in Europe, France's Rhône-Alpes region enjoys easy access to major industrial hubs in northern and southern Europe.
Rhône-Alpes also boasts France's second-largest regional economy (after Paris-Ile-de-France) with per capita gross domestic product 6% above E.U. average.
Grenoble's ecosystem is particularly favorable to the micro- and nano-technologies and embedded software industries and is home to:

Leading corporations and small and mid-sized firms, including Schneider Electric, STMicroelectronics, NXP Seminconductors (Philips), Freescale, CapGemini, France Telecom, Bull, Soitec, Atmel, Trixell, Sofradir, Sofileta , Ulis, Silicomp, and Teamlog.
Highly-innovative start-ups and small and mid-sized businesses and industrial firms (including Polyspace, Tronic's, and Scalagent)
Several leading research laboratories (including CEA-Leti, INRIA, CNRS, and Verimag)
Successful, globally-recognized partnerships such as Crolles 2 Alliance
Prestigious universities and engineering schools (Grenoble Institute of Technology)
Unique scientific facilities such as Minatec and the Synchrotron
Supportive local governments
A scientific community 38,500 people strong

MICRO-NANOTECHNOLOGIES & ELECTRONCS		IT & SOFTWARE
Research	3,000 jobs	Research	2,000 jobs
Business	21,700 jobs	Business	12,000 jobs
TOTAL	24,700 jobs	TOTAL	14,000 jobs
Higher education	1,200 graduate/year	Higher education	2,200 graduate/year

Micro-and Nano-technologies

Vibrant integrated circuit and microtechnologies industries have made the Grenoble area one of Europe's leading centers for microelectronics.

In 1992, STMicroelectronics, Léti-CEA and France Telecom R&D joined forces to ramp up research in submicronic technologies, with STMicroelectronics handling production. The microelectronics sector in the Grenoble area is extremely dynamic, as evidenced by the notable technological advances that local businesses and research labs have achieved. In the field of circuit miniaturization, SOITEC, set the goal of achieving 0.17-micron etching on 300 mm wafers and making energy-efficient components. Leti has made advances in fluorescent micropoint screens. Local component manufacturers contribute additional expertise to the industry and provide key support for the technological advances made in and around Grenoble.
In 2002, Freescale (Motorola) linked up with the R&D division of NXP Semiconductors (Philips) and STMicroelectronics. The resulting joint facility, CrollesII, garnered investments of €2.8 billion—the largest industrial investment project in France in more than a decade.

Created at the initiative of CEA-Leti and Grenoble Institute of Technology, the Minatec center for innovation in micro- and nano-technologies is at the top of its field in Europe. The Grenoble area is one of the few places in the world that possesses the scientific, technological, and industrial resources required to achieve this level of recognition.

The Software Industry

The local IT industry has attracted both hardware manufacturers and information systems developers.
The networking and telecommunications businesses are also vibrant in Grenoble. In addition to the leading corporate players, the city is home to a dynamic community of SMEs and researchers. As a result, Grenoble has been home to major advances in communicating technologies, distributed systems, and network development.
Finally, the Grenoble area is also a leading European center for industry and research in multimedia technologies and knowledge servers as well as in embedded software and software development.

Electronics

The Grenoble area has staked out a leading position in three fields:

Industrial automation and command-control systems
The passive component, coaxial connector and cable, and fiber optic component industries
The video tube and screen industry

In all three of these areas, university research laboratories in the Grenoble area have built industrial partnerships at the local, European, and international levels.

Click here for more information (french document) or see AEPI web site.