New proposal for a national research programme

In February, leading OEM and EMS companies operating in Sweden will present a joint proposal for a new national and interdisciplinary research programme in microsystems. Among the initiators are representatives of Ericsson AB, NOTE AB, Flextronics i Sverige, Kitron and MYDATA automation AB.

The proposal focuses on research primarily in production technology for future microsystems, where digital and analogue electronics will interact with, for example, biotechnology, nanotechnology, sensor technology and/or micromechanics. The idea is to improve the opportunity for Swedish research and Swedish manufacturing industry to develop the new production technologies that will be required to obtain robust and cost-effective manufacturing methods for products based on microsystems thinking. The proposed research programme is called MP2 - Microsystem Packaging and Production. The proposal will be submitted to Vinnova in February.

Why a new programme?
- It is becoming increasingly clear that the expectation of broad and deep expertise in packaging and production is shifting from the product owner to its partners. With this, the electronics industry is following in the footsteps of the automotive industry. The MP2 programme is an important part of ensuring that the outcome of this shift benefits the Swedish electronics industry, both in the short and long term," says Peter Haglund, Managing Director of Kitron Development.
- To succeed all the way from a good product idea to a robust and profitable production requires close co-operation between all members of the development chain. This was already a challenge with traditional products and in vertical integration, where development and production took place within the same company," says Jolanta Noren, who is responsible for the development of construction methods at Ericsson. - In today's and tomorrow's company structure, both development and manufacturing are increasingly conducted within networks that include one or more service, OEM and EMS companies, each with its own specialisation in both development and manufacturing. For microsystems, where different disciplines must work together down to chip and package level, the situation is further complicated for networked development and production chains. Not least, the picture of requirements management becomes more difficult to manage.

Facilitating important new initiatives
- The programme proposal will hopefully help different types of companies to collaborate more smoothly, for example, when it comes to securely understanding needs, requirements and opportunities for new production technologies for microsystem solutions," says Anders Söderbärg, Head of NOTE's Centre of Excellence. The MP2 proposal also aims to reduce the long-term risk of sub-optimisation, delays and misinvestments. "Creating the right conditions now opens the way for more players who have the courage and ability to invest in developing the production technologies needed to make the necessary technological leaps in production and product development in microsystems," continues Anders Söderbärg. The development and manufacture of future microsystems will require close collaboration between different interdisciplinary disciplines, according to the initiators. "New manufacturing methods will need to be developed, which places extra demands on a well-functioning network and collaboration," says Monica Bakszt, Head of Research at Mydata.

Swedish universities at the forefront
"Great progress has been made in Swedish universities and colleges in the development of building blocks and tools for the production of microsystems. However, success is somewhat hampered by the fact that researchers in production technology and Swedish manufacturing companies have not yet actively participated in the work," emphasises Mats Pfeffer, Manager of Technology at Flextronics in Västerås. An important link in the development chain would be strengthened by the proposed research programme.
- In the MP2 proposal, Sweden and Swedish industry have a golden opportunity to utilise the high level of expertise available in universities and colleges. The country has strong companies in medicine, telecoms and transport. In addition, the informal way of working in Sweden favours system solutions where the need for cross-functional teams is essential," concludes Anders Söderbärg of NOTE AB.

The timetable for the MP2 programme is a launch in spring 2004 with the possibility of project applications right from the start.

For further information contact:
Anders Söderbärg, Head of NOTE Centre of Excellence, 0176-793 00