OTHER ELECTRONICS & NANOTECHNOLOGY
INDUSTRY UPDATE
July 2017
McIlvaine Company
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Siemens
Builds 4 Centers across Karnataka, India
Isolab,
Built For Studying Quantum Systems
Leti and
Fraunhofer to Strengthen Microelectronics Innovation in France and Germany
NTU Sets
Up Innovation Center in Israel
Air
Products Invests in Six Industrial Gas Plants
IBM Leads
Country's First Nanotechnology Lab in Brazilian IT Industry
Siemens has signed an MOU to build 'Centers of Excellence'
to train skilled workforce focused on technologies and processes related to
Industry 4.0, automation, mechatronics and IoT.
Siemens Industry Software India Pvt. Ltd is partnering with
the Government of Karnataka's Government Tool Room Training Centre (GTTC) and
DesignTech Systems Ltd in building four "Centers of Excellence" across
Karnataka.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the parties
is said to pave the way for an integrated skills development infrastructure and
benchmarked technical education curriculum with core focus on Industry 4.0,
automation, mechatronics and IoT infrastructure. According to Siemens India, the
four Centers of Excellence will address diverse industry segments such as
automotive, industrial machinery, industrial automation, renewable energy,
aerospace, and defense.
DesignTech Systems will be in charge of the execution of
the four Centers of Excellence and will run the centers for the first two years
and continue to provide support for the third year.
“With [the] Indian industry increasingly adopting
automation and digitalization, it also requires a highly-skilled workforce
trained in future-ready technologies and processes. The MoU is yet another step
in this journey of modernization,” said Sunil Mathur, Managing Director and CEO,
Siemens Ltd.
Suman Bose, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer,
Siemens India, said, “The collaboration aims to train students on relevant
industry processes and help create industry-ready trained personnel. This
industry-readiness and relevance of skills is expected to foster further
industrial development in the state of Karnataka.”
The centers aim to merge engineering and manufacturing
simulation with product development, manufacturing and IoT. They will be
equipped with Siemens PLM software solutions, such as NX software for digital
product design and engineering, Teamcenter software for digital lifecycle
management and the Tecnomatix portfolio for digital manufacturing. They will
feature industrial automation equipment as well as computer numerical
controllers (CNC), programmable logic controllers (PLC) and manufacturing
machinery, including CNC milling and turning machines, industrial application
robotics cells, a renewable (solar/wind) energy training system, coordinate
measuring machines (CMM), auality assurance tools and gages and rapid
prototyping machines.
Each of the Centers of Excellence will have ten
laboratories staffed with instructors trained and certified by Siemens.
One of the most advanced facilities in the world for
quantum technology, Lancaster University’s IsoLab has been inaugurated by the
Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC).
Built completely to order, its unique features include
three 50-ton platforms sitting inside a 350-ton concrete tank in order to
drastically reduce any vibration, noise and electromagnetic disturbance. The
laboratories provide the lowest temperatures available for cooling quantum
systems that enable the operation of extremely sensitive quantum systems and
devices for future technology.
Quantum science and technology provides new techniques for
sensing, measurement, information processing, data transmission and storage.
Using these techniques, the researchers are aiming to set new standards for
fundamental quantum physics. The sophisticated facilities at IsoLab will allow
the world-class team of researchers at Lancaster to study an impressive range of
topics. IsoLab will also provide access to the global universities and
industries dealing with quantum optics, nano-machinery, quantum encryption and
extreme microscopy.
“Oxford Instruments provides researchers globally with
state of the art and scalable tools and solutions for quantum and nanotechnology
applications, having extensive relationships with both the worldwide research
community, and companies bringing new commercial applications to market. The
Cryofree® Triton dilution refrigerators are enabling new innovations and
discoveries in quantum technology areas. We are delighted to be a part of IsoLab
by supplying our new generation Triton dilution refrigerator, and supporting the
vision of the University”, said Ziad Melhem, the Alliance Manager from Oxford
Instruments NanoScience.
"We need laboratories like IsoLab to test, characterize and
further develop a whole range of new technologies based on quantum-enhanced
sensing, imaging and measurement. The systems and states under study can be
extremely fragile and delicate, and while we can drastically reduce vibration
and noise, even then at room temperature some effects are masked by thermal
agitation. Working with Oxford Instruments, we are cooling solid-state devices
down to further isolate them from this noise and allow their quantum behavior to
shine through”, said Richard Haley, the Director of IsoLab at Lancaster
University.
Two European research institutes announced their new
collaboration to develop innovative, next-generation microelectronics
technologies to spur innovation in their countries and strengthen European
strategic and economic sovereignty.
Leti, a research institute of CEA Tech in Grenoble, France,
and the Berlin-based Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics, Europe’s largest R&D
provider of smart systems, will initially focus on extending CMOS and
More-than-Moore technologies to enable next-generation components for
applications in the Internet of Things, augmented reality, automotive, health,
aeronautics and other sectors, as well as systems to support French and German
industries.
The agreement was signed by Leti CEO Marie Semaria and
Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics Chairman Hubert Lakner during Leti
Innovation Days, which are marking Leti’s 50th anniversary.
“The ability to, one, develop key enabling technologies
that overcome the formidable technical challenges that our leading technology
companies will face, and, two, transfer them quickly to industry, is an
essential focus for research institutes and industrials in France and Germany,”
Semaria said. “Building on our previous, successful collaborations, Leti and the
Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics will bring our complementary strengths to
the task of keeping France and Germany’s microelectronics industries in the
forefront – and offer our innovations across Europe.”
“Micro-/nanoelectronics and smart systems are key enabling
technologies for the economic success of Europe, especially in France and
Germany. Thus, Europe can no longer afford to scatter its research competences.
For the benefit of industry, joining forces will become more and more important,
not only for industry but also for RTOs,” Lakner explained. “The new cooperation
agreement will be the starting point for a strategic research cooperation of the
two countries in order to jointly support the upcoming EC initiative, Important
Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), on micro- and nanoelectronics.”
Specific R&D projects that the collaboration will focus on
include:
The second phase of the collaboration may be expanded with
additional academic partners and other countries, as needed.
The innovation center in Haifa, Israel is believed to
foster closer ties between Singapore and Israeli institutions and industries.
Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU Singapore)
has announced its plans to set up an innovation center in the city of Haifa in
Israel, known to be Israel's high-tech hub. NTU Innovation in Haifa has sealed
agreements with Hutchison Kinrot, seed investor in water-related technologies
owned by Hutchison Water.
According to NTU, its presence in Haifa aims to nurture
innovative thinking and entrepreneurship, and to stimulate broader collaboration
with Israel’s industrial players, venture capitalists and angel investors.
The university's collaboration with Israel currently
includes almost 30 agreements with Israeli universities and industry players,
the value which has surpassed $72 million (S$100 million) since 2011.
Haifa is Israel's hub for R&D and home to two of the
country’s respected institutions—the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology,
often called Israel’s MIT, and the University of Haifa. The Haifa Economic Corp.
is also known for high-tech incubators such as the T3 and hiCenter, and is home
to companies like Google, Phillips, Intel, Microsoft and Apple.
Welcoming the partnership with Hutchison Kinrot, Professor
Lam Khin Yong, Vice President (Research), NTU Singapore, said: “NTU's innovation
and enterprise company, NTUitive, will work closely with Hutchison Kinrot to
identify technologies developed by NTU with strong potential for
commercialization.
“The technologies will primarily focus on the clean-tech
sector, including energy management and storage, as well as energy-efficient
technologies and sustainable solutions for industry in water and waste
management. We will also explore other cutting-edge developments in technology,
such as the Internet of Things and advanced materials.”
The center will play an important role as a satellite
office to facilitate NTU research collaborations with Israeli universities and
companies.
Speaking at the launch event in Haifa, Professor Andersson,
NTU President, said, "Beyond our focus in research, Haifa is also a great place
to expose Singapore students to innovation and entrepreneurship.
“With a center here, NTU students will be able to enroll in
programs that will immerse them in the latest innovations in Israel’s fast-paced
high-tech industry. It will also give them first-hand exposure to the renowned
start-up ecosystem at the hiCenter.”
NTU intends to have 20 students on internships at promising
Israeli start-ups at Haifa in a year’s time. Students can choose to intern at
start-up hotspots across the globe under NTUitive’s Overseas Entrepreneurship
Programme. Haifa is the fifth city in this program, which includes Silicon
Valley in the United States, Beijing and Shanghai in China and London in the UK.
Made-in-NTU companies that wish to explore the Israeli
market and capital opportunities can use space at NTU Innovation in Haifa as a
base for their initial operations.
NTU Innovation in Haifa will accelerate research
collaboration with leading Israeli universities to propel advanced studies. The
maritime sector is an area that NTU Singapore can contribute considerably, given
the university’s expertise in advanced marine-related research and Singapore’s
strengths in maritime port technologies. It is also a timely initiative for
Haifa, which plans to build a second new $1 billion deep water port that will
double the city’s current capacity.
NTU Innovation in Haifa will be located at the Tiltan
School of Design and Visual Communication in Haifa.
Air Products, a world-leading industrial gases company,
announced it has recently received multiple, long-term supply awards from
semiconductor and flat panel display manufacturers in China as the country's
electronics manufacturing industry continues to boom.
Industrial gases supply contracts awarded to Air Products
over the past 12 months call for the investment in six industrial gas plants and
a pipeline network for the supply of gaseous nitrogen and oxygen, as well as
other bulk gases. These facilities will support existing and new customers in
key electronics clusters and industrial parks in China's major economic regions,
including the Yangtze River Delta in Eastern China, Pearl River Delta in
Southern China, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in Northern China.
"We are greatly honored to be selected by our existing as
well as new customers to support their growth plans in China. These wins speak
volumes about their confidence in our capabilities," said Saw Choon Seong, China
president, Industrial Gases at Air Products. "Air Products has been serving the
China market for 30 years. These recent strategic investments reflect our
continued commitment to supporting the fast-paced development of electronics
manufacturing customers here who are gaining new momentum for growth under the
country's 13th Five-Year Plan and 'Made in China 2025' initiative. We will
continue to bring our scale, innovation, and reliable and safe supply to enable
them to thrive."
The Chinese Government has a strong commitment to boosting
development of the electronics industry. One initiative is the establishment of
the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, commonly known as the
Big Fund, to invest roughly USD 20 billion from 2014 through 2017 in the
country's semiconductor industry. In addition, local governments have also set
up regional-level funds totaling around USD 100 billion to promote key
technologies and major projects.
Air Products' wins over the past 12 months include some
landmark projects in China's electronics industry, and some are state-level
projects, such as:
A new memory fab in the Fujian (Jinjiang) Integrated
Circuit Industrial Park in Fujian Province, Southern China; and a new foundry in
the Pukou Economic Development Zone (PKEDZ) in Eastern China, a state-level
high-tech park which will be home to advanced manufacturing and is only 35
kilometers away from the Nanjing Chemical Industry Park (NCIP). Air Products has
already built a leading position in the NCIP serving several hundred customers
in the park and across Nanjing through pipelines and various supply modes.
Air Products has been a leading industrial gases supplier
to the global electronics industry for over 40 years. In China, the company has
been serving many world-leading and domestic manufacturers in the development of
next generation electronics devices by leveraging its strong and reliable supply
network across the country.
One example is the supply to one of China's most advanced
fabs, which is located in Xian City, Western China, and is owned and operated by
a leading global semiconductor company. Air Products is also supplying the
country's highest-generation, most advanced and most efficient TFT-LCD
(thin-film transistor liquid crystal display) fab located in the Banan Jieshi IT
Industrial Park in Chongqing City, Western China.
IBM announced
a new experimental laboratory for nanotechnology research in Brazil. The NanoLab
is part of a $4M investment within the recently upgraded IBM Research-Brazil lab
in Rio de Janeiro and will focus on projects related to research in Oil & Gas,
Agriculture and Health across Latin America.
Through its
NanoLab, IBM is the first company within Brazil's IT industry to work on
building nanoscience-based technology prototypes meant to leverage the Internet
of Things (IoT), cloud and big data capabilities. These simulation systems and
the process of all data collection and treatment will be powered by IBM Cloud.
The lab will enable physicists, engineers and computer scientists to jointly
conduct industrial nanoscience and nanotechnology development in Brazil, and
across IBM Research's global network of 12 labs. The NanoLab will also
collaborate with the local ecosystem, such as universities and government
institutions, and has already signed a partnership with UFMG (Federal University
from Minas Gerais).
The new
research lab houses equipment for the characterization and testing of integrated
lab-on-a-chip devices with a focus on advanced materials, such as the
manipulation and testing of nanoparticles. This includes high-precision atomic
force and optical microscopes, 3D printers, hardware and software testing tools,
among others.
"The NanoLab
is a unique research environment that provides instrumentation for the
characterization and manipulation of nanoscale devices and materials, enabling
the development of new methods and applications for industrial-scale IT
technology. We want the NanoLab to be a hub for industrial science and
technology in Brazil that attracts top research talent from around the world,"
said Mathis Steiner, manager and research staff member, Industrial Technology &
Science at IBM Research Brazil.
Steiner and
his NanoLab team's paper, "nanoscale” published
in Nature Scientific Reports explains how the properties of liquid oil
molecules behave in completely different and unexpected ways when in contact
with a solid material, at the nanoscale. The study also revealed that the
simulation tools and techniques commonly employed by the oil industry do not
take into account the increased energy required to extract these oil molecules.
As a result, 60 percent or more of a well's oil is left behind in the nanoscale
capillaries of shale reservoirs. In response, the NanoLab team is developing
nanoscience-enhanced oil flow simulations that could better-predict oil
extraction from a reservoir.
According to
Steiner, while the simulation does not suggest how to extract the totality of
trapped oil, it offers different techniques and materials that might help to
extract about 1 percent more. In Brazil, which pumps
2.4 million barrels
of oil every day, that 1 percent increase in production would add 24,000 more
barrels to the daily total –and 8.8 million more barrels every year (in Brazil).
"Our wettability discovery is an important step to help oil and gas companies to
recover more than the industry average of 40 percent of the oil trapped in their
reservoirs," Steiner said.
The next step
is to study the flow of oil in nano-capillaries. To that end, IBM Research
–Brazil's NanoLab scientists developed an integrated chip platform that enables
a way to experimentally validate and calibrate nanoscale flow for building
better flow simulations that can determine how much pressure is necessary to
pump water, as well as customized chemicals specifically designed to separate
oil from a rock's nanoscale pore network –and eventually extract the oil (for
which they already have a patent: Method and integrated device for analyzing
liquid flow and liquid-solid interface interaction).
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