January 7, 2008 -- The Interuniversity Microelectronic Center (IMEC), Europe's leading independent research center in the field of micro- and nanoelectronics as well as nanotechnology, has decided to establish a liaison office in Taiwan to further encourage exchanges with this country.

The IMEC Taiwan office, expected to be located in the Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan's first and largest "Silicon Valley, " is scheduled to be inaugurated Jan. 22, a source from the preparatory office said Sunday.

In view of Taiwan's achievements in the fields of semiconductor manufacturing, optoelectronics and nanotechnology, the Leuven, Belgium-based IMEC is establishing the office to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with companies, academics and investors in Taiwan, the source said.

IMEC is knows for engaging in research and development by three to 10 years ahead of industrial needs in microelectronics, nanotechnology, design methods, and technologies for information and communication technologies (ICT) systems.

With over 200 Ph.D students and around 500 industrial residents, IMEC maintains subsidiaries or branch offices in the Netherlands, the United States, Japan and Shanghai. Currently it has 1,500 people working for it worldwide.

The organization, whose global partners include Intel, Texas Instruments, Philips, Infineon, Samsung, Matsushita, and ST Microelectronics, is positioned as a bridge between industry and academia, helping to shorten the cycle between exploratory and commercial technologies, the source said.

In addition to nanoelectronics and nanotechnologies, IMEC is also active in other areas, including multi-mode multimedia technologies, wireless autonomous transducer solutions, and solar cells.

Source: Asia Pulse