The European microelectronics industry and its challenge for the nineties

Abstract

The success of the European industry is based on innovation, quality and technological leadership. As the key technology is shifting from mechanics and electro-mechanics to microelectronics. European industry has to master that change and to achieve a world competitive position in microelectronics. Up to the early eighties, European activities in that field were handicapped by a lack of transnational coordination. Since then, programs have been initiated to strengthen Europes technical position. Started in 1984, the MEGA-Project was the first border-crossing effort to establish a leading-edge position by using memories as technology driver. The on-time production start of the 4 Mbit-DRAM in 1989 demonstrated the success and laid the foundation for a wider, pan-European cooperation, the 'Joint European Submicron-Silicon Initiative' (JESSl). The mission of JESSI is to secure an independent and world competitive microelectronics supply for the European industry and to utilize the future microelectronics capability for competitive advantages for the electronics industry. This will be achieved through cooperative projects strengthening the interaction between the partners of the industrial chain. >