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These tasks are open for proposals in the Esprit Call of 15 March 1996.
This information is intended to aid organisations planning to submit proposals in the context of R&D tasks 2.1 to 2.4, Application Competences, in the Technologies for Components and Subsystems (TCS) domain of the Esprit programme.
This information supplements two sections of the information package, An Introduction for Proposers and Industrial RTD Projects, and should be used in conjunction with them.
Component suppliers develop generic microelectronics technologies - semiconductor processing, design and test techniques, packaging and interconnection - with the aim of satisfying a large variety of products and customers. However, these technologies and tools can be made more competitive if they are adapted to fulfil the needs of a particular set of products by addressing their specific requirements.
Reciprocally, to stay competitive, electronic product manufacturers (i.e. the component users) need access to microelectronics technologies which are optimised to product demands, such as low-power, high reliability, low cost, high frequency, etc.
These technology developments, ranging from fine-tuning of available techniques or processes to the development of variants of generic technologies, are generally the result of a very close cooperation between technology users and suppliers on applications which are particularly relevant in terms of business benefit.
Application Competences fosters the interaction between technology users and suppliers.
The overall objective of Application Competences is to provide electronic system manufacturers with leading-edge microelectronics technologies adapted to their needs.
This goal will be achieved by:
Four different system attributes are identified in R&D tasks 2.1 to 2.4 of the work-programme: portability (2.1), high performance (2.2), endurance (2.3) and measurement and control (2.4).
These characteristics refer to particular features or functionality of the system or to the conditions of the environment in which the electronic component will operate.
Proposals for these tasks will address applications in the area of telecommunications, multimedia, computers and peripherals, automotive, measurement and control characterised by one or more of the above mentioned attributes.
It is expected that the work will concern:
(a) Adaptation of technologies. The modification of specific characteristics of a existing technology or the development of variants of generic technologies of particular relevance for the selected application; or,
(b) Exploitation of complementary expertise. The integration of technical competences (semiconductors, design techniques, microsystems, packaging techniques, optoelectronic circuits, peripherals) into a microelectronic component or subsystem.
In all cases, the proposed approach should offer competitive advantages - in terms of size, performance, cost and reliability - at the system level over existing or alternative solutions.
Vertical cooperation of partners, combining complementary expertise in specific domains, will facilitate the development of components and subsystems for specific applications. To this end proposal partners should have substantial experience and competence in technological areas. In particular, a significant involvement of users with a solid technical and commercial background in the targeted applications will ensure that technology adaptations are effectively driven by the system requirements.
The proposal will address a well-identified application in the core business of the industrial user and will contain elements of innovation or performance/cost challenges beyond those considered normal in commercial relationships between users and suppliers.
Proposals are expected to make extensive use of existing knowledge and therefore require a moderate effort to achieve the proposed objectives. Two ratios should be considered: a) the expertise brought into the proposal by the partners over the required effort (leverage); and, b) the potential economical benefits of the results over the invested effort (return on investment). Proposers should try to maximise both of them.
Proposals in this subdomain are expected to produce results which can be exploited shortly after the end of the project and which will contribute to improve the market position of industrial participating partners.
The vertical cooperation in the projects will favour the commercial exploitation of results. In the case of participation of companies competing with each other, the need for cooperation should be clearly justified and potential conflicts for commercialisation of results should be clarified.
Technology users should provide quantitative estimates of the expected impact of the proposal in the commercialisation of the targeted application and related products.
Commitment for exploitation of the technology by the suppliers with indication of the plans to make the technological results accessible to potential users will be required and needs to be specified in the proposal. Evidence on that the impact of the proposed work goes beyond the scope of the participating partners and the target application of the proposal should also be provided.
Technology suppliers should describe how the technological developments object of the proposal will contribute to improve their position both in terms of the market sectors which can be addressed and the total number of potential users.
Workshops on specific themes (technologies, applications, etc.) will be organised regularly with the participation of relevant projects and interested parties. The objective of these events is the identification of common points of interest outside established consortia and the dissemination of results. In addition, groups of users will be established with the aim of having early visibility on the technological progress and performing assessment of results when appropriate.
For further information, please contact:
Francisco J. Ibáñez
tel +32 / 2-296-8659- fax +32 / 2-296-8389
e-mail francisco.ibanez@dg3.cec.be
Esprit Homepage | Workprogramme | Call of 15 March | Information Package
The URL of this document is /esprit/src/applicom.htm
It was last updated on 15 March 1996, and is maintained by Francisco J. Ibáñez - francisco.ibanez@dg3.cec.be