We are located on our customers’ sites and our capabilities in France cover all the product lines (carrier gases, services, equipment & installations, specialty materials, advanced materials), including in the services our own analysis laboratory: Balazs, which also intervenes in other European countries.
Production investments are made on the majority of our customers’ sites as long term contracts are signed (carrier gases).
We also have two stock points for specialty materials located in the two main basins of activity providing a reliable supply to our customers.
R&D at the heart of our customers' activities
There is a strong R&D activity at our customers' sites in France. As an example, STMicroelectronics is involved in European R&D programs and its researches take place in its CR300 site in Crolles. Our Balazs laboratory has participated to some of those programs with STMicroelectronics.
The CEA (Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique) is also a major R&D electronics actor in Europe, covering both semiconductor and photovoltaics activities and having facilitated creation of many start-ups. It has recently been recognized as the most innovative R&D center in the World.
STMicroelectronics, the main actor of the semiconductor industry
Our customers in France are mainly focused on niche technologies and R&D: STMicroelectronics focusing on lnternet of Things and Automotive markets.
Soitec has developed the FD-SOI techno (alternative to FIN-FET)
IPDiA works on very specific biotechnological subjects
STMicroelectronics in Rennes is very involved on military processes
There is no really big foundry except for STMicroelectronics which is the main actor of the semiconductor market in France with 5 fabs in the country (Crolles and Rousset being the biggest ones) and also our principal customer (74% of our Turnover).
Grenoble, a leading European city for nanotechnology
Grenoble is the second most important electronics cluster in Europe and one of the Top Major Microelectronic Ecosystem in the World. A lot of companies, students and researchers from all over the world come to this site of experimentation and insights.
The 2nd largest regional economy in France after Paris area.
The 7th one in the European Union.
As an illustration, Semicon Europa annual fair takes place in Grenoble in alternance with Dresden in Germany.
