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Engineering Complex Systems

Giovanni De Micheli

Nano-Tera.ch

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Nano-Tera.ch
A very successful Swiss research program

funding large collaborative multi-discipline projects

aiming at the engineering of complex systems

for applications in the domains of Health

and the Environment
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Mission
Research, Design & Engineering of complex tera-scale systems
using nano-scale devices and technologies
Main application domains are Health and Environment,
with Energy and Security as transversal support areas
Develop new markets
Improve living standards
Better the quality of health and environment
Foster a vision of engineering with social objectives
Promote related educationl programs
Foster research and crossbreeding of technologies
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Key figures
118 Projects

50 Swiss Research institutions

~1100 Researchers
including
~280 Doctoral students

~ 60 Industrial partners and end-users

124 MCHF Federal Nano-Tera.ch support
Including HES support
Matched by the institutions


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Dissemination statistics 2008-2013
~737 Papers published






~1300 Presentations
37 Awards received by Nano-Tera researchers
(25 best poster/paper awards + 12 for personal achievements)
24 Patent applications filed




TOTAL since beginning of the program
Journals,
books
Conf.
Proceedings
Total
RTD 2009 200 202 402
RTD 2010 95 161 256
RTD add-on 2 4 6
NTF 18 36 54
SSSTC 9 10 19
324 413 737
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Most RTD projects receive support from various industrial partners and
hospital end-users

Industry & hospital involvement (2013-2016)
Number of
projects
Number of
industrial
partners
Number of
hospital
partners
RTD Call 2011 6 9 6
RTD Call 2012 12 10 6
RTD Call 2013 7 15 1
25 34 13
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New projects 2013-2017
RTD Research, Technology, Development
25 projects

18 projects over 4 years
7 projects over 3 years

involving 159 research groups (~6-7 groups/project)
with an average Nano-Tera funding of ~550 kCHF/project.year

NTF Nano-Tera Focused
9 projects over 2 years
Total Nano-Tera funding: 2.5 MCHF
ED Education & Dissemination
9 activities (and counting)
from a total Nano-Tera budget of 600 kCHF

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Partner distribution by institution
Projects
2009-2013
Projects
2013-2017
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Some Swiss institutions involved
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Distribution of research groups
Distribution of research groups
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Taking nanotechnology
from the lab into our daily lives
Nano-Tera has achieved outstanding results in the areas of biosensing, design of
medical implants and diagnosis tools, and monitoring systems for the environment.

Success stories include:

Analysis lab under the skin:
Small implant capable of detecting several metabolites
and instantaneously transmitting this data to a doctor
Wearable ECG
with wireless
data
transmission
Networked rock-
displacement
detectors to protect
against rockslides
Smart sensor-
equipped
textiles, able to
monitor tissue
oxygenation
Optical sensing
platform to
detect doping
agents in saliva
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Nano-Tera.ch Engineering the Future
In its new phase, Nano-Tera will continue to explore key research areas

Challenges currently being tackled include:

Aquatic robot which can smell polluting substances,
using integrated biological and chemical sensors
Monitoring of
obese patients
via sensors
integrated into
smart textiles
Integrated
neuroprosthesis to
facilitate motor
control & recovery
after spinal cord
injury
High accuracy
surgery for
minimally invasive
interventions of
the ear
Effective hydrogen production system using
sunlight and water
Next-generation,
high-quality,
mobile ultrasound
imaging device
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ED activities
Education and Dissemination of results is an integral part of Nano-Tera.ch.
ED activities typically support short courses, workshops, mini-conferences, as well as the
development of new curricula.
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Korea-Switzerland Joint Workshop
Following this successful event, Nano-Tera participated in a joint workshop hosted by the
Center for Integrated Smart Sensors (CISS) at KAIST, on October 17-18, 2013
Invited Nano-Tera delegation:
G. De Micheli, M. Rajman, K. Aberer, D. Atienza, Y. Leblebici, P. Ryser (EPFL)
L. Benini, Q. Huang (ETHZ)
Swiss researchers and their Korean counterparts (including Byeong Guk Park, SNU, and
Hoi-Jun Yoo, KAIST) gave presentations on smart healthcare, biosensing, sensing architectures
Good opportunity to strengthen partnership between Nano-Tera.ch and CISS and hold
comprehensive discussions on the future of next generation smart sensors
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BRIDGE
Nano-Tera.ch has identified concrete examples of the
technological gap is Switzerland
A proposal is being put forward for a new collaborative
framework funding research and innovation in Switzerland
Strengthen the conversion of publicly-funded research into
pre-competitive innovation
Cross-exposure of interconnection of personnel
Junior researchers and freshly graduated PhDs

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International Exchange Program
Nano-Tera.ch has welcomed two prominent international researchers to
make a series of talks in various institutions involved in Nano-Tera

Prof. Krishna Palem (Rice University)
Pioneering contributions to the foundations of embedded computing
Visit July 2013

Prof. Rahul Sarpeshkar (MIT)
Central contributions in the area of ultra energy efficient systems in
biology, engineering and medicine
Visit October 2013

The possibility to invite new international scientists in the framework of the
Nano-Tera International Exchange Program will soon be open to all PIs
and Co-PIs involved in Nano-Tera projects
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Mark your calendars!
Nano-Tera Annual Meeting 2015:

May 5, 2015
Allegro Grand Casino Kursaal, Bern
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www.nano-tera.ch
Thanks for your attention !
www.nano-tera.ch