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 Microelectronics: The Cornerstone of Our Technological Sovereignty
In the current geopolitical context, strengthening the sovereignty of France and Europe in the field of electronics has become a strategic imperative. As an enabling technology for all major ongoing transformations—including digital, telecommunications, healthcare, energy, mobility, defense, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence—microelectronics is indeed key to our ability to innovate, produce, and master the critical technologies of tomorrow.
This is the central objective of the PEPR Electronics (Priority Research Programs and Equipment), launched in September 2022 as part of France 2030. In just a few years, this program has generated unprecedented momentum in French research in this field. It now brings together approximately 50 laboratories, more than 120 research teams, and nearly 500 permanent researchers across the country. It has also enabled the launch of 86 doctoral theses, thereby helping to develop the skills and talent the sector will need in the future.
The results achieved at the midpoint are particularly encouraging. The sixteen scientific projects underway, led by consortia each comprising 5 to 8 partners, have not only met but often exceeded their initial objectives. The program has enabled the structuring of coherent value chains, from materials to components and subsystems, while also fostering the development of several demonstrators that have reached a technological maturity level of approximately TRL 4. For upstream research, this level represents a decisive step toward medium-term industrial impact.
This momentum is also underpinned by significant investment in infrastructure. The RENATECH facilities and the Nano-Characterization Platform (PFNC) have been strengthened and modernized through the PEPR, with the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment and closer ties to CEA-Leti and its 200- and 300-mm platforms. These tools now constitute a leading technological foundation, serving not only the program but also broader interactions with other national and European initiatives.
In this collective success, the IEMN plays a decisive role. Through the excellence of its research, the diversity of its expertise, and its involvement in several strategic areas, the institute serves as a driving force in the deployment and advancement of the PEPR Electronics program. Its scientific contribution, its ability to foster ambitious collaborations, and its commitment to technology platforms make it a central player in this national initiative. At the intersection of fundamental research, technological development, and commercialization, the IEMN directly contributes to making the PEPR a program that is structuring, visible, and forward-looking.
At the halfway point, the Electronics PEPR has thus demonstrated its ability to produce top-tier results, strengthen cooperation among organizations, universities, and technology partners, and support the challenges of sovereignty, training, innovation, and sustainability. In this context, the IEMN fully confirms its role as a scientific and technological pillar, working to build a stronger, more coordinated, and more sovereign French electronics sector.
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From May 19 to 22, 2026, Lille hosted the 24th edition of the Journées Nationales Microondes (JNM), the must-attend event for the French microwave community. |
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The 2026 event was co-organized by the IEMN and the Catholic University of Louvain, an unprecedented cross-border collaboration that brought together numerous academic and institutional partners. |
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The IEMN continues to expand its research facilities with support from the ERDF |
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Since 2020, the IEMN has been leveraging major national and regional projects to accelerate its research in strategic fields. These initiatives are enhancing its state-of-the-art micro- and nanotechnology facilities, with support from the ERDF. |
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"HdF Electronics Together & In the Spotlight - Act I" is launching a collaborative initiative aimed at structuring and strengthening the regional electronics sector. |
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This first meeting aims to lay the groundwork for a shared roadmap, aligned with innovation priorities, industrial needs, and national and European funding opportunities. |
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State-of-the-art electron lithography equipment: the EBPG5200Plus (Raith) |
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This state-of-the-art tool will support IEMN’s research projects across a wide range of devices, including micro-batteries, neuromorphic devices, MEMS/NEMS sensors and III-V technologies, in response to the current and future needs of researchers and industry. |
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The 100 People Shaping Tech and Innovation in Hauts-de-France 2025, by La French Tech |
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Three IEMN alumni are featured in the rankings.
Congratulations to them and to all the HDF100 2025 winners, who contribute every day to the technological influence of the Hauts-de-France region. |
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Pierre KOLEJÁK receives a WERNER VON SIEMENS award for his french-czech phd on Spintronic THz Ellipsometry |
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A distinction highlighting a successful French–Czech research trajectory at the interface of terahertz photonics, spintronics and advanced materials metrology. |
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University of Lille Award for Best Dissertation Goes to PhD Student My Nghe Tran |
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The Ph.D. candidate My Nghe Tran, supervised by Bruno Grandidier and Vitaly Ordomsky (UCCS), has distinguished himself through innovative work in photocatalysis, which was recognized with the University of Lille’s Best Thesis Award." |
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Asmaa Khalil Wins the Young Researcher Award |
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Congratulations to Asmaa Khalil, winner of the Young Researcher Award at the U Symposium (Nanomaterials for Health and Biomedical Engineering) during the EMRS Spring Meeting in Strasbourg for her thesis titled “Carbon Quantum Dots as Nanodrug Delivery Systems for Nose-to-Brain Drug Delivery,” supervised by Amar Abderrahmani (University of Lille) and Thierry Burnouf (Taipei Medical University, Taiwan). |
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Toward a more sustainable alternative for converting methane into hydrogen and hydrocarbons |
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Researchers have recently shown that vanadium dioxide (VO₂), which undergoes a phase transition at 68 °C, significantly facilitates the transfer of these charges to react with methane during this transition. |
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Towards 360° connectivity in the THz band |
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Discover how a new generation of antennas is paving the way for ultra-fast terahertz communications and unprecedented spatial coverage – a major breakthrough for 6G, imaging, terahertz Wi-Fi and the networks of the future. |
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Ultra-confined terahertz waves |
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These observations, made for the first time in the THz range for this type of polariton, open the door to new components for processing and controlling THz waves, such as waveguides, modulators, and very small antennas compatible with on-chip integration. |
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Towards smart sensors, inspired by the brain |
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Imagine a world where sensors no longer merely measure, but begin to think for themselves. From ultra-early medical diagnostics to predictive maintenance in aeronautics, they are many applications. |
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Gravitational waltz on a soap film |
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Gravitational interactions shape the structures of the Universe, from planetary orbits to interactions between galaxies. They give rise to characteristic dynamics such as complex orbits, tidal spiral arms, and bridges, which are common at astrophysical scales but rarely observed at human scales. Recently, teams from IEMN and the Institut Pprime observed the emergence of such structures when two miscible droplets, placed on a soap film, orbit, collide, and merge. |
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Flavie Braud: when light transforms matter |
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A micro- and nanotechnology engineer at the IEMN, Flavie Braud was one of the ambassadors for the exhibition La Science taille XX Elles — Hauts-de-France 2026 edition. A portrait of a journey marked by doubt, curiosity and passion. |
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“Têtes chercheuses” :Portraits of the People Behind Science at IEMN |
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Engineers, doctoral students, postdocs, and researchers: meet the talented individuals driving progress in research, engineering, and technology at the heart of our laboratory.
Through a series of short video profiles (less than 3 minutes), we’ll highlight their expertise, their passion, and the cutting-edge technological platforms that have made IEMN renowned. |
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Anthony TREIZEBRE, named 2026 Ambassador for the Festival of Science |
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This year, a duo of researchers will represent the Fête de la Science in the Hauts-de-France region: Anthony Treizebre, a researcher at the IEMN, and Rozenn Ravallec, Director of the INRAE Cross-Border Joint Research Unit (UMRt) BioEcoAgro. |
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© IEMN
Directeur de la publication : Thierry Mélin
Création graphique : Service Edition Communication Multimédia
Réalisation technique : Service d'Information et Administration des Réseaux
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IEMN - CNRS UMR8520
Cité Scientifique - Avenue Henri Pointcaré - 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq
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