imec, iMinds to Merge

Imec and iMinds, a digital research and incubation center, announced that its respective board of directors have approved the intention to merge the research centers. Using the imec name, the combined entities will create a world-class, high-tech research center for the digital economy.
 
The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2016, with the united organization staged to bring added value to existing partners while further strengthening Flanders’ authority as a technology epicenter and region focused on creating a sustainable digital future.
 
iMinds will be integrated as an additional business unit within imec, resulting in a new research center that will fuse the technology and systems expertise of more than 2,500 imec researchers worldwide with the digital competencies of some 1,000 iMinds researchers representing nearly 50 nationalities.
 
The additions of iMinds’ flagship open innovation research model -ICON- (in which academic researchers and industry partners jointly develop solutions for specific market needs), iStart entrepreneurship program (supporting start-up businesses), and Living Labs will strengthen the unique capabilities and assets of imec as a research and development center.
 
Imec has been a global leader in the domain of nanoelectronics for more than 30 years, and has innovated applications in smart systems for the Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Health, and Internet of Power. iMinds’ activities span research domains such as the IoT, digital privacy and security, and the conversion of raw data into knowledge.
 
“The proliferation of the Internet of Everything has created a need for solutions that integrate both hardware and software. Such innovative products that optimally serve tomorrow’s digital economy can only be developed through intense interaction between both worlds. There are infinite opportunities in domains such as sustainable healthcare, smart cities, smart manufacturing, smart finances, smart mobility, smart grids, or in short, smart everything. Research centers such as imec, with its widely acclaimed hardware expertise, and iMinds, an expert in software and ICT applications, are uniquely positioned to bring these concepts to life,” said Luc Van den hove, president and CEO of imec. “Furthermore, iMinds is widely recognized for its business incubation programs and open access to SMEs, and, this merger provides us with a unique opportunity to jointly reach out to the Flemish industry and further elevate Smart Flanders on the global map.”
 
iMinds will remain headquartered in Ghent with its researchers spread across the Flemish universities. The ambition is to operate as one organization by the end of 2016.