Moderator
Dimitrios Damianos Ph.D.
Project Manager, Consulting Services Division
Yole Intelligence
Dimitrios Damianos, Ph.D., is a Project Manager in the Consulting Services Division at Yole Intelligence, part of Yole Group.
He manages transverse consulting projects, ensuring their quality and maintaining long term relationships with key accounts within the semiconductor industry.
Dimitrios has been with Yole since 2018, evolving through various analyst/consultant roles and is the author of numerous technical, business and market analyses covering imaging, sensing and photonics while actively played a key role in the expansion of Yole’s market & technical knowledge and the development of strategic projects.
Dimitrios holds a BSc in Physics and MSc in Photonics, as well as a PhD. in optics & microelectronics.
Company Profile
Yole Group is an international company recognized for its expertise in the analysis of markets, technological developments, and supply chains, as well as the strategy of key players in the semiconductor, photonics, and electronics sectors.
With Yole Intelligence, Yole SystemPlus and Piséo, the group publishes market, technology, performance, reverse engineering and costing analyses and provides consulting services in strategic marketing and technology analysis. The Yole Group Finance division also offers due diligence assistance and supports companies with mergers and acquisitions.
Yole Group benefits from an international sales network. The company now employs more than 180+ people.
More information on www.yolegroup.com.
Panelist
Anton Hofmeister
APMS Group Vice President & General Manager R&D and Strategy for the Analog and Mems Sub Groups
STMicroelectronics
Anton Hofmeister is Group Vice President and General Manager of R&D in ST’s Analog, Power & Discrete, MEMS & Sensors (APMS) Group. He is also Managing Director of ST’s German subsidiary since 2016.
Hofmeister joined Thomson Semiconductors (a predecessor company to STMicroelectronics) as a marketing engineer in 1986. He subsequently held management positions in product marketing, key account management and corporate strategic marketing. In 1997, Hofmeister was appointed Director of a System R&D team in San Diego, USA, and became subsequently Director of the Print Head Business Unit. In 2005, he was appointed General Manager of the Microfluidics Division and has broadened his responsibility with the MEMS Microactuator Division in 2015, managing the MEMS business for a variety of applications in Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Industrial, and Medical markets.
Hofmeister has served as a board member of the Singapore-based Molecular Diagnostics company Veredus Laboratories. He is currently a member of the Governing Council of the MEMS&Sensor Industry Group (MSIG) at SEMI and a board member of the European Association on Smart Systems Integration (EPoSS).
Anton Hofmeister was born in Munich and graduated with a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Munich.
Company Profile
At ST, we are more than 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are committed to achieving our goal to become carbon neutral on scope 1 and 2 and partially scope 3 by 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com.
Panelist
Gunar Lorenz, Ph.D.
Senior Director Technical Marketing Sensors
Infineon Technologies AG
Dr. Gunar Lorenz is heading the technical marketing and application engineering for consumer sensors at Infineon Technologies. Gunar joined Infineon in 2016 as system project manager responsible for Infineon’s first open market MEMS microphone. Prior joining to Infineon he worked as director of system-level simulation at Coventor, where he and his group invented and developed Coventor’s MEMS/IC co-simulation design environment MEMS+. The original ideas for MEMS+ are embodied in his PhD carried out at Robert Bosch R&D Center in 1999. Gunar graduated in mechanical engineering at the TU Braunschweig in Germany and received his PHD in electrical engineering from the TU Bremen in 1999.
Company Profile
Here at Infineon, we combine entrepreneurial success with responsible action to make life easier, safer, and greener. Barely visible, semiconductors have become an indispensable part of everyday life. We play a key role in shaping a better future – with microelectronics that link the real and the digital world. Our semiconductors enable efficient energy management, smart mobility, as well as secure, seamless communications in an increasingly connected world. Infineon designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductors and system solutions. The focus of its activities is on automotive and industrial electronics, communication and information technologies, IoT, sensor technology and security. The product range comprises standard components, software, customer-specific solutions for devices and systems, as well as specific components for digital, analog, and mixed-signal applications.
Panelist
Dr. Stefan Majoni
Director Foundry MEMS
Bosch
Stefan Majoni studied chemistry in Hannover and completed his PhD in solid state physical chemistry in 1994
He developed semiconductor lithography processes for DRAMs with IBM and ASICs with Philips.
Since 2005, he joins the Bosch MEMS team in several management positions, primarily in development and partly in production.
Stefan currently drives MEMS foundry service as director for Bosch.
Company Profile
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 428,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2023). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 91.6 billion euros in 2023. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 90,000 associates in research and development, of which roughly 48,000 are software engineers.
Panelist
Adrian Arcedera
SVP Memory, MEMS and Sensor Business Unit
Amkor Technology, Inc.
Adrian joined Amkor in 1997, and is currently Sr VP for Memory, MEMS and Sensor Business Unit, responsible for the business and platform development for Memory, MEMS & Sensor Products. He has served in various leadership positions in Amkor’s chip scale products, including leading the platform development for Amkor’s ChipArray® package. He has authored multiple technical papers and has been granted multiple US Patents. He holds a degree in chemical engineering from the University of the Philippines.
Company Profile
Amkor Technology, Inc. is the world’s largest US headquartered OSAT (outsourced semiconductor assembly and test). Since its founding in 1968, Amkor has pioneered the outsourcing of IC packaging and test services and is a strategic manufacturing partner for the world’s leading semiconductor companies, foundries, and electronics OEMs. Amkor provides turnkey services for the communication, automotive and industrial, computing, and consumer industries, including but not limited to smartphones, electric vehicles, data centers, artificial intelligence and wearables. Amkor’s operational base includes production facilities, product development centers and sales and support offices located in key electronics manufacturing regions in Asia, Europe and the United States. Learn more at https://amkor.com
09:39 –
AR/VR, Optics and Automotive Session
09:40 – 10:00
How do MEMS start-ups play in the big pond of AR/VR world?
The AR/VR market is considered to be a pivot market for the CE industry. It is a big pond, crowded by the strongest players in the world, with very deep pockets, and a lot of technological gaps to bridge, in order to bringing a viable product to the market. Among the missing parts to bridge is a display engine. One of the promising technologies for such a display engine is Laser beam Scanning, based on MEMS scanning mirrors. This technology is not new, however it had never met the needed requirements for the market in terms of performance, size and maturity. It is happened that most of dominant LBS players are start-ups, and also fabless. How do MEMS start-ups play in this big pond? What is the synergism between the big players and the start-ups? Could a fabless mode work for these start-ups? My talk will focus on all of these questions, with specific example for our day to day challenges at Maradin.
Matan Naftali
CEO
Maradin
Years of experience from the working floor of MEMS manufacturing to managing an extraordinary development team. Matan worked at SCD Israel and founded IMH which he sold in 2013. Matan holds tens of patents & publications in the MEMS area. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, and MBA, from the Technion, Israel.
Company Profile
Maradin Ltd. provides one of the world’s most advanced Laser Beam Scanning (LBS) solutions, serving as core components for AR/VR and automotive displays.
Founded in 2008, Maradin is privately held, with headquarters and a design center in Israel. Maradin operates in a fabless mode, with a comprehensive patent portfolio.
As of today, Maradin has development agreements with Automotive Tier#1 companies and consumer market leaders, looking to position itself as leaders in these emerging markets.
10:00 – 10:20
How Optotune’s Products for Dynamic Light Control Benefit AR/VR Applications
In this presentation I will introduce Optotune’ s key technologies for dynamic light control. These include liquid lenses, pixel shifters, beam-steering mirrors and laser speckle reducers. I will give an overview in which markets and applications our products are currently being used. Key issues of liquid lenses such as thermal drift, gravity coma and lack of suitable AR coatings are addressed, and solutions presented.
In the second part I will present how our products and technologies can benefit the emerging AR/VR market by presenting different use cases such as wobulation/super-resolution in display engines, vergence accommodation in AR, FOV expansion and de-speckling of laser-based light engines.
Dr. David Leuenberger
Head of Product Management
Optotune
David Leuenberger received his M. Sc. Degree in Physics from the University of Bern in 2000 and got his PhD from Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL) in the field of photonic crystals in 2004. In 2013 he obtained his MBA degree from Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Business School (EBS). He currently works as Head of Product Management at Optotune. He is interested in the technical and commercial aspects of liquid lenses and optical actuators for various markets ranging from Medical to AR/VR and Automotive.
Company Profile
Optotune develops and manufactures industry shaping active optical components that allow customers around the globe to innovate. Founded in 2008, we started out with our core technology of focus tunable lenses, which was inspired by the working principle of the human eye. Laser speckle reducers, 2D mirrors, tunable prisms and beam shifters are further additions to our product line. Thanks to our deep understanding of optics and mechanics and our passion for technology, Optotune is your ideal partner when it comes to solving challenges where conventional optics fail.
10:20 – 11:20
Networking Break, Coffee & Business Meetings
11:20 – 11:40
Laser Beam Scanner Projection Displays For Consumer AR Glasses – Key MEMS Design Considerations.
TriLite has developed the world’s smallest, lightest, and brightest laser beam scanner (LBS) designed for high-volume consumer AR applications, to enable everyone to enjoy augmented vision as lightweight, comfortable, and stylish as the eyewear of today. Our ultra-compact Trixel® 3 optical display engine is <1 cm3 volume and weighs <1.5g. It combines TriLite’s miniature and lightweight laser beam scanner (LBS), all optical components, and a single 2D MEMS mirror. Key to our design philosophy for the Trixel 3 is to use standard components as far as possible – for example, laser diodes, optical components, and specifically, the MEMS mirror. For us, the selection of MEMS must stand out in terms of performance, size, yield, energy consumption and system costs. This ensures that we achieve an LBS scanner for AR that meets consumer challenges and OEM requirements.
Dr. Manuel Dorfmeister
Head of MEMS and e-Software department
TriLite
Dr. Manuel Dorfmeister is an expert in microelectromechanical systems, having a PHD in Piezoelectric MEMS development from the Technical University of Vienna, as well as numerous patents registered and papers published. In 2019 Manuel joined TriLite as a research and development engineer, focusing on MEMS mirror driving and automatic calibration. In 2021 he was appointed Head of the MEMS & e-Software department leading a team of experts in designing the System Architecture, machine learning-based calibration, and firmware development of Trixel® 3, the world’s smallest LBS projection display for Augmented Reality mass market devices. Manuel leads the TriLite design and development of software-defined LBS displays, which shifts complexity from the hardware into the software domain.
Company Profile
TriLite designs and builds the world’s smallest projection display solutions so that everyone can enjoy augmented vision as lightweight as the eyewear of today. TriLite’s display solutions are based on proprietary, multi-parameter algorithms and deploy advanced machine learning algorithms to generate laser beam scanning devices with unprecedented size, weight and image quality. The ultra-compact Trixel® 3 laser beam scanner (LBS) has been designed from the ground up for mass-manufacturing and is fully compatible to state-of-the-art waveguides without requiring any relay optics. An outstanding team of multidisciplinary researchers and manufacturing experts stands behind TriLite’s multiple-patented technology. TriLite enables its customers to accelerate the availability of leading-edge display solutions for mass market Augmented Reality applications.
11:40 – 12:00
Using MEMS and optics to create a unique solution for present and future applications
poLight has developed the TLens®, tunable focusing lens enabled by specific MEMS structure. In collaboration with STMicrolectronics, the first MOEMS TLens has been put in mass production. It has been adopted in many different products such as mobile cameras and other consumer products, as well as industrial and medical applications. The technology has the potential to be used in automotive devices for which reliability are more demanding. poLight will present its current TLens MEMS structure as well as new product concept like the TWedge® which will be key for emerging applications such as AR-VR.
Jon Edwards
VP Business Development
PoLight ASA
Jon is VP of Business Development at poLight. He has spent his career in the camera module industry, working for companies such as Cambridge Mechatronics, Optotune, Sony, STMicro and CMOS Image sensor pioneer VLSI Vision. He holds a Degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Edinburgh.
Company Profile
poLight ASA offers a patented, proprietary tunable optics technology, starting with its first product, TLens® which replicates “the human eye” experience in autofocus cameras used in devices such as smartphones, wearables, barcode scanners, machine vision systems and various medical equipment. poLight’s TLens® enables better system performance and new user experiences due to benefits such as extremely fast focus, small footprint, no magnetic interference, low power consumption and constant field of view. poLight is based in Horten, Norway, with employees in Finland, France, UK, US, China, Taiwan, and Philippines.
For more information, please visit https://www.polight.com
12:00 – 12:20
Transforming the Sensor Market through a New Topology for MEMS
MEMS technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, enhancing the safety of our vehicles, empowering our smartphones with advanced sensing capabilities, and paving the way for groundbreaking AR/VR experiences. However, in recent years, fundamental innovation in the field of MEMS has been limited. This presents a prime opportunity for disruption, and Omnitron has risen to the challenge by introducing a revolutionary “New Topology for MEMS” that delivers an order of magnitude improvement in actuation power and sensitivity, heralding a new era in MEMS technology.
Leveraging a clever rearrangement in silicon processing techniques and a novel packaging methodology, Omnitron’s “New Topology for MEMS” offers a 10x improvement in capacitance per unit area, 5x deeper trenches, and a batch-level pretilt offset. On top of that, this topology, which has been proven through fabrication, is a scalable, cost-effective, and high-performance solution for the mass production of advanced sensors.
The speaker will elucidate the significance of this innovative topology by showcasing a 15mm MEMS step-scanning mirror designed for long-range LiDAR applications. This mirror provides a Figure of Merit (FOM) 5x better than any other MEMS mirror on the market.
Eric Aguilar
CEO
Omnitron Sensors
An award-winning entrepreneur, Eric is a visionary leader in the field of advanced sensor systems for complex systems such robotics and autonomous platforms.
Throughout his distinguished two-decade career, Eric’s passion for sensor design and innovation has made him a key player in the industry. His expertise includes leading teams at renowned companies such as Tesla, where he managed a crew of 300 engineers on the firmware for Model 3, and at X, where he spearheaded the development of Google Project Wing, an autonomous drone delivery service.
Eric’s expertise in sensor integration includes a leadership position at various renowned robotics companies. His role in steering product development for a sensor company later acquired by Google — as well as his pioneering work building sensors for drones at US Navy Research Labs — further showcase his depth of experience.Eric earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University and completed the Stanford Entrepreneurship program. His work continues to shape the future of MEMS and sensors technology, making him a sought-after thought leader and speaker in the field.
Company Profile
Omnitron Sensors is rewriting the script on building high-performance low-cost sensors for the world of tomorrow. Leveraging its executive team’s extensive experience designing, fabricating, and using MEMS sensors, Omnitron has developed a “new topology for MEMS” that addresses some of the most pressing pain points in MEMS manufacturing.
Featuring the clever arrangement of silicon process steps and a new packaging method, Omnitron’s topology significantly improves performance to produce robust, rugged, reliable, repeatable, and low-cost MEMS sensors in high volumes by leveraging commercial MEMS foundries.
The company’s first proof point of its new topology for MEMS is a large, robust, low-cost, MEMS scanning mirror for long-range LiDAR.
12:20 – 13:35
Buffet Lunch
MEMS and Sensors in our Environment
13:35 – 13:55
A IoT Based Solution for Gas Leak Map
An innovative solution able to provide real-time gas leak maps for gas network and industrial sites will be presented. This solution is being developed in collaboration by eLichens (a gas sensor leader), CEA LETI (a world-wide level research institute) and GRDF (the French gas distributor leader) and its ambition is to develop:
- A low cost 10-ppm sensor for CH4 detection
- A connected station that includes this sensor and allows remote monitoring of gas leak through a web interface
- A gas leak map computed from a network of connected stations deployed on an industrial site.
This solution will be low cost, easy to deploy and will provide real time monitoring. It will detect gas leaks in real time either continuous or temporary (related to some process or conditions).
Pierre Jallon
CTO
eLichens
Pierre Jallon is the CTO of eLichens. He joined eLichens in 2019 and is responsible of the technology development, IP management, product roadmap and prototyping. He is in particular in charge of the development of the gas leak identification offering for eLichens, from prototyping the solution up to market analysis and strategic positioning of the product. Prior to join eLichens, Pierre has been working with CEA LETI as lab manager in health department and in the field of wearable technology. Pierre used to be part of the scientific staff of CEA LETI, he holds a PhD in signal processing and a MBA with a specialization in innovation management.
Company Profile
eLichens is a based in Grenoble and develop innovative solution based on gas sensors for the industrial safety and the leak detection and repair markets. The offering includes gas sensors, connected stations for remote monitoring of gas leaks and data viewer and analytics to manage networks of these stations, quantify and locate leaks. These solutions are based on unique MEMs based IR emitter that has been developed in partnership with CEA LETI and protected by more than 55 patents. eLichens has successfully produced and sold ten of thousands of sensors in the industrial safety market. eLichens is now extending its offering with a new innovative sensor – called 1 ppm sensor – designed for the leak detection applications on industrial and biomethane sites.
Research Institutes & Start Ups
13:55 – 14:15
Going Vertical With MEMS: Unfolding System-Level Development Of Scanning Micromirror Technologies
Being a top European research center for electronic based systems, Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) offers cooperative research in the pioneering areas of Microsystems, Sensor Systems, Intelligent Wireless Systems, Power Electronics and Embedded Systems. SAL connects key industrial and scientific players for the application-oriented research along the value chain. It accelerates the processes from idea to innovation within the major market tendencies on the global arena.
In his presentation, Dr. Mohssen Moridi, Head of Research Division Microsystems, will discuss the system-level development of scanning micromirror technologies with focus on MEMS-based vertical integration, from initial concept to applied demonstrator. Metasurfaces, passivation coating, embedded AI algorithms and ASIC integration will be outlined as added functionalities.
Mohssen Moridi, Ph.D.
Senior Executive Director & Head of the Microsystems Research Division
Silicon Austria Labs (SAL)
Dr. Mohssen Moridi is an expert in microtechnology with over 20 years of experience in the development of MEMS devices. He holds a Master’s and Ph.D. in Microtechnology from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. After completing his doctoral studies, he held various research positions in Switzerland, contributing to advancements in microsystems technology. In 2016, he moved to Austria to lead the Microsystem Division at CTR AG, where he established a MEMS department and managed the development of a new cleanroom dedicated to industrial R&D. Since 2019, he has been part of Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) and currently serves as Senior Executive Director and Head of the Microsystems Research Division. In this role, he leads a team of over 60 researchers, driving innovation in thin-film technologies, integrated photonics, and magnetic and piezoelectric microsystems. With extensive experience at the intersection of research and industry, Dr. Moridi plays a key role in shaping cutting-edge microsystem technologies, bridging fundamental research with industrial applications.
Company Profile
Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) has been founded to be a top European research center for electronic-based systems. In the network of science and economy, we carry out research at a global level and create the basis of groundbreaking products and processes.
14:15 – 14:35
StethX Acoustic Wearable Patch for Monitoring and Diagnosis of Cardio-Pulmonary Conditions
Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are significant public health issues affecting millions of individuals globally and burdening healthcare systems tremendously. StethX has developed a smart, easy-to-use and low-profile wearable patch for accurate detection, analysis and quantification of heart sounds and respiratory abnormalities by capturing mechano-acoustic signals emanated from heart and lung. In this talk, an overview of the capabilities of the patch for longitudinal monitoring and at-home use will be discussed and the latest clinical results from the patch will be presented.
Farrokh Ayazi, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO
StethX Microsystems
Farrokh Ayazi is the Founder and CEO of StethX Microsystems, a spin-off of the Georgia Tech Integrated MEMS Laboratory that is commercializing advanced wearable patches for cardiopulmonary applications. He received the B.S. degree from the University of Tehran, Iran, in 1994, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1997 and 2000, respectively, all in electrical engineering. Dr. Ayazi is the Regents Entrepreneur and Ken Byers Professor in Microsystems at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where his main research interest lies in the area of integrated Micro/Nano-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS and NEMS), with a focus on high-Q acoustic resonators and advanced inertial sensors. Dr. Ayazi was the co-founder and CTO of Qualtré, a spin-out of his research laboratory that commercialized bulk acoustic wave silicon gyroscopes for high precision applications, which was acquired by Panasonic in 2016. Dr. Ayazi is a fellow of the IEEE, has authored over 300 refereed technical and scientific articles, and holds more than 60 patents. He was the general chair of the IEEE Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems conference in 2014, held in San Francisco, CA.
Company Profile
StethX is a start-up company located in Atlanta, GA commercializing a proprietary wearable sensor technology that enables remote and long-term monitoring of cardio-pulmonary conditions with high fidelity.
14:35 – 15:05
Networking Break, Coffee and Business Meetings
15:05 – 15:25
Si Schottky Photodiodes: New Horizons for Short Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) Sensing
Photodiodes for the short wavelength infrared range enable enhanced vision and imaging in terms of distance, ruggedness against atmospheric disturbance, and chemical analysis compared to the visible. The penetration of these sensor, which today are mainly used in defense and machine vision applications, into other market segments such as automotive, consumer, and biomedical, are hampered by economic and technical limitations of the established technologies (scalability, complexity, spectral range). The concept of Si Schottky photodiodes for infrared detection was actively pursued in the 1980s and 1990s and recently resumed to tackle today’s challenges.
Fraunhofer IPMS will give insights into its silicon-based Schottky photodiode technology. We will also discuss the impact of device structure on the performance and its unique features as a compelling alternative for opening up new horizons on the SWIR roadmap. This talk is aimed at researchers, engineers, and decision-makers interested in exploring new alternatives to conventional photodiodes and seeking a reliable development partner to support their innovation efforts in SWIR applications.
Dr. Sandro Koch
Business Unit Manager Acoustic Sensors and Systems
Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems
Dr. Sandro Koch completed his physics studies at the Dresden and received his PhD in applied physics in 2015. He then joint Fraunhofer IPMS as a research scientist and held several research management positions focusing on MEMS-based acoustic and photonic sensors. Currently, Sandro Koch is working as business unit manager “Acoustic Sensors and Systems” on the development of MEMS modules in the audible and ultrasonic range and their transfer to industry.
Company Profile
Fraunhofer IPMS is a leading international research and development service provider for electronic and photonic microsystems in the application fields of Smart Industrial Solutions, Bio and Health, Mobility as well as Green and Sustainable Microelectronics. Research focuses on customer-specific miniaturized sensors and actuators, MEMS systems, microdisplays and integrated circuits as well as wireless and wired data communication, neuromorphic and quantum computing. Services range from consulting and design to process development and pilot series production.
The Fraunhofer IPMS is one of 75 institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the leading organization for applied research in Europe. With nearly 32,000 employees Fraunhofer operates with an annual budget of €3.6 billion, €3.1 billion of which is generated by contract research — Fraunhofer’s core business model.
Company Products & Services
The range of services includes wafer processing, characterization & testing, assembly and interconnection technology and the organization of external and supplier services. At the Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT), Fraunhofer IPMS offers applied research, process and material development on 300 mm wafers for microchip producers, suppliers, device manufacturers and R&D partners. 4000 m² of clean room space is available for processing customer orders as well as laboratory space for over 80 processing and analytical tools.
15:25 – 15:45
MEMS Ultrasound Technology: More Than Medical Imaging
Micromachined Ultrasound Technology is primarily known for its use in medical ultrasound imaging. There are, however, many more applications of this technology, both in- and outside of the medical domain. We will show several applications for which MEMS technology is a differentiator, and the technology platforms i m e is developing for those applications.
Dr. Erwin Hijzen
Program Director
imec
Erwin Hijzen received his PhD in Applied Physics from the Delft University of Technology. After that he has worked for Philips and NXP in the area of semiconductor technology, holding different R&D positions. He is currently working for IMEC, as director for the MEMS ultrasound program.
Company Profile
Imec is a world-leading research and innovation center in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. Imec leverages its state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure and its team of more than 5,500 employees and top researchers, for R&D in advanced semiconductor and system scaling, silicon photonics, artificial intelligence, beyond 5G communications and sensing technologies, and in application domains such as health and life sciences, mobility, industry 4.0, agrofood, smart cities, sustainable energy, education, … Imec unites world-industry leaders across the semiconductor value chain, Flanders-based and international tech, pharma, medical and ICT companies, start-ups, and academia and knowledge centers. Imec is headquartered in Leuven (Belgium), and has research sites across Belgium, in the Netherlands and the USA, and representation in 3 continents. In 2021, imec’s revenue (P&L) totaled 732 million euro.
Further information on imec can be found at www.imec-int.com.
MEMS Market Outlook
15:45 – 16:05
Tracking Startups Fundraise and The Challenges in the MEMS Market & ecosystem in a post-covid era
The MEMS market is growing rapidly, driven by the increasing demand for miniaturized devices and the growing adoption of new technologies in markets like consumer, automotive, health, and telecom. Startups play a key role in the growth of the MEMS market by having the flexibility to quickly develop and bring to market new and innovative MEMS technologies.
This presentation will provide a brief overview of the MEMS market, some of the main technical challenges, the role of startups in the MEMS market, and the investment landscape for semiconductor startups.
Ahmed Ben Slimane
Managing Director
Strategic Semiconductors
Ahmed Ben Slimane is an advisor, business developer and technology & market analyst, specialized in semiconductors.
He has an experience with over 12 years in compound semiconductors, he worked as an epitaxy (MBE/MOCVD) & fabrication process engineer, his mission focused on GaN-based flexible micro-LED and GaAs-based photovoltaic cells. He also was part of the Power & Wireless team at Yole Development where he contributed to the development of semiconductor market & technology reports. Ahmed completed his PhD in Material Engineering from KAUST (Saudi Arabia) and obtained his master’s degree in electronic engineering from INPG (France) and EPFL (Swtzerland).
Company Profile
We help investors, start-ups and established companies understand the ever-changing semiconductor market and identify business opportunities through growth or investment.
Salah Nasri
CEO & Co-Founder
I.S.E.S.
Salah Nasri is the CEO & Co-Founder of the International Semiconductor Executive Summits (ISES), a division of the International Semiconductor Industry Group Ltd. an influential organization within the semiconductor industry. With extensive experience in the sector, Nasri has played a pivotal role in fostering global collaboration among semiconductor leaders. Under his leadership, ISES has become a premier platform for industry executives to connect, share insights, and drive innovation across various regions including the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Salah Nasri has been instrumental in expanding the reach and impact of ISES, organizing significant events that bring together decision-makers from across the semiconductor ecosystem. These events provide opportunities for networking, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas crucial for advancing the industry in areas such as semiconductor manufacturing, MEMS, AI, automotive electronics, and more.
His leadership has not only enhanced the visibility of ISES globally but also strengthened partnerships with key industry players, ensuring that ISES remains at the forefront of semiconductor innovation and development. Salah Nasri has previously worked at Goldman Sachs’s, Credit Suisse and International Business Development Group. Salah Nasri graduated from Oxford University and Loughborough University in International Relations and Economics. In 2024, Salah Nasri became a Stanford University Alumni after completing the Stanford Executive Program.
Company Profile
Established in 2010, the International Semiconductor Industry Group (I.S.I.G.) is a prestigious and trusted association within the semiconductor industry, renowned for orchestrating major regional summits across the globe, ranging from the U.S, the Middle East & Asia via our division, the International Semiconductor Executive Summits (I.S.E.S.). Our summits, are fully endorsed by local governments and leading companies in all areas of the semiconductor supply chain.
Moreover, I.S.E.S. serves as the Premier platform for senior executives in technology, manufacturing, and R&D from diverse semiconductor companies, technology providers, and affiliated industries. Our events are instrumental helping to shed light onto key industry trends, drive innovation and influence key decisions to help shape, and advance the growth of the semiconductor sector. Join us today!
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