RTB-2016 – RTB-2016

In 2003, the French Ministry of Research expressed the need for a national initiative in the field of nanosciences and nanotechnologies in order to increase the competitiveness of the national research community in this field. Indeed, it is commonly accepted that manipulate matter at the micro and nanoscale leads to new technologies that have a strong impact in many sectors of the economy, including information and communications , healthcare, transportations, energy and security. The ministry launched with the " Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)" and the " Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique ET aux Energies alternatives (CEA2)", a dedicated program entitled "A national network of large technological facilities and Basic Technological Research in micro and nanotechnologies" which took the RTB program name. The RTB program address three main areas: - The development of competitive clean room infrastructures, able to provide the necessary support and technology for national research activities of the national community in the field of micro and nanotechnologies; - The training of PhDs and postdocs students in these technological facilities, - the production of IP activity in nanotechnology for future and rapid exploitation through French industry. It involves a network of 6 academic (CNRS and universities) facilities distributed over the French territory belonging to the "RENATECH" network (www.renatech.org) and associated to a large facility, CEA-Leti (www. leti.fr), located in Grenoble and dedicated to technological developments targeting transfert to industry. Mainly supported by an investment plan, the results of RTB program are reviewed annually by an international panel to quantify the network's leverage on the activities of the entire national scientific and industrial community.