The UAB to participate in semiconductor research and innovation

The UAB campus is home to a distinguished group of cutting-edge research groups and centres in the field of semiconductors

The "Semiconductor and Chip Alliance of Catalonia Board" was constituted today in Barcelona at an event at the ACCIÓ headquarters with the participation of Catalan Minister for Research and Universities Joaquim Nadal; Catalan Minister for Economy and Finance Natàlia Mas i Guix; Catalan Minister for Enterprise Roger Torrent; and representatives of the different institutions that form part of the Alliance, including the rector of the UAB, Javier Lafuente.
 
The Semiconductor and Chip Alliance of Catalonia Board has been created with the aim of promoting the growth and consolidation of the semiconductor, electronics, photonics and quantum ecosystem to achieve a competitive, innovative and sustainable economy. This is the governance body of the Alliance, which will work to attract projects from leading companies in this sector, train and attract specialised talent, promote research and innovation and connect the local ecosystem at an international level. It includes the participation of different ministries of the Government of Catalonia, as well as public and private agents that will collaborate to strengthen the ecosystem and the industrialisation of chips and semiconductors.
 
Cutting-edge research in semiconductors at the UAB

The UAB campus is home to an outstanding nucleus of research groups and cutting-edge research centres in the field of semiconductors in the areas of microelectronics technology, devices, sensors, SoC/IP design, verification, radiofrequency and organic electronics.

This research originated in the 1980s in the Physics and Computer Science departments which gave rise to and nurtured the creation in 1985 of the National Microelectronics Centre (CSIC), the Department of Microelectronics and Electronic Systems, and the Department of Electronic Engineering at the School of Engineering. These departments, together with the Department of Computer Architecture and Operating Systems and the Department of Telecommunications and Systems Engineering, cover research activities in many of the different aspects of the whole process from the conception of new chips in the different fields of application to their manufacture.

Special mention must be given to the physics-based modelling and simulation aspects of nanoscale devices and 2D materials, the design and fabrication of devices and systems in organic microelectronics, the study of memristor-based neuromorphic devices and circuits for AI, the reliability of electronic devices, the design of new CMOS-integrated MEMS/NEMS systems for new smart sensors, the design and fabrication of radio-frequency devices, the CMOS design of low-power and low-noise analogue interfaces, the design of image sensors in the infrared range, the design of virtual components for systems-on-chip (SoCs), the design of virtual components for systems-on-chip (SoCs), CMOS design of low-power, low-noise analogue interfaces, design of image sensors in the infrared range, design of virtual components for system-on-chip (SoCs), new computing architectures based on the RISC-V ISA for bioinformatics, genomics and space applications, implementation and optimisation of signal processing algorithms, and construction of reconfigurable prototyping platforms in the cloud. These groups access chip manufacturing technologies through direct agreements with manufacturers and through the European EUROPRACTICE platform of which they were the founding partners in 1995.

The UAB campus' ecosystem integrates a relevant set of entities strongly interrelated in aspects of research, teaching and transfer led by the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona, IMB-CNM (CSIC), which has unique capabilities in Micro and Nano Technology and Microsystems, manages the largest Clean Room in Spain (Singular Scientific and Technical Facility) and develops quality research in cutting-edge fields of microelectronics. Highlights include the design of new radiation sensors in collaboration with the Institute for High Energy Physics (IFAE) and CERN, new integrated photonics systems based on Silicon, new power devices based on SiC, research into the design of quantum devices based on semiconductors, the design, manufacture and integration of IoT chips based on RISC-V, and the manufacture of devices using recyclable organic electronics for chemical and biological sensors and batteries. One of the main topics being researched at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) is the thermal transport properties of ultrathin crystals of molybdenum diselenide, a two-dimensional semiconductor material. The Institute of Materials Science (ICMAB) and the Department of Physics of the UAB are investigating thermal waves in semiconductor materials such as germanium, a material frequently used in electronics, very similar to silicon. They also study the memristive properties of superconductors and have an outstanding activity in oxide-based electronics and molecular electronics.

The UAB offers bachelor's, master's and PhD degrees in the field of microelectronics, such as the bachelor's degrees in Telecommunications Electronic Engineering, in Computer Engineering (mention in Computer Engineering), in Telecommunications Systems Engineering, in Physics, in Chemistry, in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; and also in graduate training such as the master's degrees in Telecommunications Engineering and in Advanced Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

Constitution of the Alliance
 
The act of constituting the Alliance allows validating a roadmap with an initial analysis of opportunities and challenges, and the defining of strategic lines and a preliminary proposal of key actions agreed between the agents and companies forming part of the Alliance. Thus, the Alliance will focus on promoting growth and consolidation of the semiconductor, microelectronic, photonic and quantum ecosystem in  Catalonia to achieve a competitive, innovative and sustainable economy.
 
This first meeting has also marked the constitution of the working groups through which the Alliance will focus on strategic axes of interest for the Government, which will mark specific areas of action: the strengthening of the value chain of chips in Catalonia, its international collection, the creation and attraction of productive investment, and the promotion of talent and research.
 

Boosting the semiconductor sector
 
Among other actions, the Government is already promoting various ones that have applications in the field of semiconductors, such as the deployment of support programmes for business and technology projects in microelectronics; support from ACCIÓ's EU Next Generation Office for obtaining European funds, particularly within the framework of the PERTE Chip; and the organisation of information sessions on new opportunities.
 
Another relevant aspect that the Alliance will seek is to strengthen relations and the positioning of Catalonia in Europe, promoting the country's participation in European initiatives for the development of the semiconductor and chip ecosystem. For example, Catalonia is already one of the driving regions of the recently created Semiconductor European Regions Alliance, which aims to boost the growth and competitiveness of the semiconductor industry on the continent through the exchange of knowledge and best practices and cooperation between regions.

Public-private collaboration

The event held this Thursday served as the kick-off event for the Alliance Board, the governance body of this new initiative, which will be integrated into the Ministry for Enterprise and Employment, the entity in charge of chairing over this body. The initiative is also promoted by the Ministry for Economy and Finance and the Ministry for Research and Universities, with the participation of the Ministry for the Presidency and the Ministry for External Action and the European Union. ACCIÓ will provide the technical and administrative support necessary for the development of the Board's functions.
 
In addition to the government departments involved, representatives of companies and agents from the research system are also members. Representatives of the companies Cisco, IBM, Ideaded, IMASENIC, MPS, NXP and Semidynamics took part in this first meeting. Also present were the General Council of Chambers of Catalonia (through the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce), the Barcelona Supercomputing Center-National Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), the Barcelona Institute of Microelectronics (IMB-CNM, CSIC), the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC).

The initiative, which is born with an integrative and representative vocation, will be open to other representatives of the business world and industry and ecosystem entities so that they can also join them.

The initiative forms part of the National Pact for Industry 2022-2025, passed in autumn 2022, which already includes the preparation of a strategic plan for the development and attraction of investment for semiconductor manufacturing and the desire to position Catalonia internationally as a hub of knowledge, economic activity and infrastructure related to the chip sector. It is also in line with the priority of the National Pact for the Knowledge Society to support strategic projects to expand training capacity in this sector.

 
The semiconductor ecosystem in Catalonia
 
According to data from ACCIÓ's study "Semiconductors in Catalonia", there are currently 86 companies in the semiconductor sector employing 700 people. These workers are in addition to the 3,700 researchers involved in research projects in the field of semiconductors, which means that this ecosystem is already made up of 4,400 professionals in Catalonia. According to the ACCIÓ report, 81% of the companies in the sector in Catalonia are SMEs (and 8% are start-ups), while 37% have an annual turnover of more than 10 million euros. In this sense, the document points out that the semiconductor industry is in the development phase in Catalonia and has a high growth projection.
 
In fact, apart from the information and data collected in this analysis, completed in December 2022, one must add the new company projects announced in recent months by several multinationals, such as the American companies Cisco and MPS. In addition, the Government of Catalonia is working through ACCIÓ with a portfolio of around twenty potential foreign investment projects. If all of them were to materialise, they would represent an additional investment of over 1.6 billion euros and the creation of 1,800 new jobs over the next two or three years.