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Europe doubles the investments in semiconductor research within the ENIAC nanoelectronics undertaking
(Nanowerk News) The ENIAC Joint Undertaking launched today its new Call for proposals, boosted by the strong participation of the funding authorities who committed in 2011 grants up to 175 M€, an increase of 100% over the previous year. The grants translate in R&D projects with total eligible costs of about 400 M€. The ENIAC Joint Undertaking confirms herewith its role as the leading European public-private partnership in nanoelectronics chartered to increase and leverage the public and private investments by bringing together the ENIAC member States, the European Union and the R&D actors associated in AENEAS.
Including today's call, the ENIAC Joint Undertaking generated R&D activities in value of more than 1 B€ since its inception in 2008, taking now a big step towards fulfilling its objective to approach 3 B€ by 2013.
Andreas Wild, the Executive Director of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking, said: "After a relatively slow start due to the inherent complexity and novelty of the setup, the ENIAC Joint Undertaking made lately considerable progress in achieving synergies among the national objectives, the European priorities and the R&D initiatives of the private sector. Consequently, we experience now a significant increase in commitments: this trend shall be continued and strengthened in order to secure the future growth, competitiveness and sustainability of the European nanoelectronics industry".
The ENIAC Joint Undertaking receives each year funding commitments from the ENIAC member States, adds its own grants based on funding from the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union, and executes open and competitive calls to select the most impactful project proposals for funding.
The proposals submitted must be within the scope of the strategic agenda, as expressed in the Annual Work Programme proposed by the ENIAC Industry and Research Committee and approved by the ENIAC Public Authorities Board. The members of the ENIAC Industry and Research Committee are nominated by AENEAS. The ENIAC Public Authorities Board is composed of the European Commission and the ENIAC member States.
In 2011, the topics covered by the calls include specific grand challenges in three technology areas and five application areas addressing societal needs.
Technology areas:
  • Design technology
  • Semiconductor process and integration
  • Equipment, materials and manufacturing
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    Application areas:
  • Automotive and transport
  • Communications and digital life style
  • Energy efficiency
  • Health care and aging society
  • Safety and security.
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    The ENIAC Joint Undertaking aims at strengthening the entire R&D ecosystem in nanoelectronics, including industrial companies, research institutes and academic research. In the first three years, researchers from 336 organizations had 627 participations in the 28 projects selected for funding. The ENIAC Joint Undertaking promotes the small and medium size enterprises: they represent about 42% of the participating organizations, while 23% are large companies and 35% are Universities and institutional research organizations.
    About the ENIAC Joint Undertaking
    The ENIAC Joint Undertaking (JU) is a public-private partnership focusing on nanoelectronics that brings together the ENIAC member States, the European Union, and AENEAS (an association representing European R&D actors in this field).
    It coordinates research activities through competitive calls for proposals to enhance the further integration and miniaturization of devices, and increase their functionalities while delivering new materials, equipment and processes, new architectures, innovative manufacturing processes, disruptive design methodologies, new packaging and 'systemising' methods. It will drive and be driven by innovative high-tech applications in communication and computing, transport, health care and wellness, energy and environmental management, security and safety, and entertainment.
    The ENIAC JU was set up in February 2008 and will allocate grants throughout 2013 and will execute the projects selected for funding till 31 December 2017. The total value of the R&D activities generated through this partnership upon its conclusion is estimated at 3 B€.
    Currently, the ENIAC member States are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Denmark and Switzerland did not become ENIAC member States, although organizations from these countries are participating in ENIAC JU projects.
    Source: Eniac