Minatec : the fruit of Grenoble's and the CEA's second marriage

Microelectronics, which was still in its infancy thirty years ago, has become the dominant force in world growth. Despite the fact that it is a key sector in the economy, nevertheless its position remains fragile. Whereas sale prices have collapsed, investment costs in the development of ever smaller components have increased exponentially. The byword now is nanotechnology. Human and financial resources are now required, in the light of this development, to deal with a struggle for world supremacy in this field. In view of this huge challenge, the site at Grenoble which contains the CEA (French Atomic Energy Authority), the LETI (Laboratoire d'Electronique, de Technologies et d'Instrumentation), manufacturers and the local authorities concerned, has increased its importance in France and Europe even more. It was decided to construct Minatec (the centre for innovation in micro and nanotechnology) on the site of Grenoble's Polygone Scientifique (scientific park) in order to bring together researchers, academics and manufacturers in an innovative way and they would subsequently benefit from extremely sophisticated buildings and equipment.