imec and Panasonic have extended their strategic partnership for joint research and development on advanced CMOS process technologies, wireless communication, healthcare and flexible electronics by signing a new three-year deal at the Panasonic Headquarters based in Osaka, Japan.
The strategic collaboration between Panasonic and imec started in 2004, with focus on the development of advanced semiconductor process technologies. The scope of this partnership had been expanded in 2008, covering not only advanced semiconductor process technologies but included different application fields of semiconductors. Under this collaboration, Panasonic researchers and imec’s research groups in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Leuven, and Belgium, have achieved groundbreaking results in healthcare, wireless communication and next-generation CMOS technologies over the years.
Under the new agreement, Panasonic and imec researchers will focus their research on flexible electronics. Panasonic’s Managing Director, CTO, and a member of the board, Yoshiyuki Miyabe stated that the company and imec have maintained a good relationship for these eight years. The company expects to reinforce its ‘win-win’ relationship with imec for the growth of both companies.
The President and Chief Executive Officer at imec, Luc Van den hove expressed his delight over the extension of the company’s strategic partnership with Panasonic. The extension and broadening of the research partnership between the companies corroborate the value of their research offering to the market. Through joint research and development, sharing results and resources, and providing strong protection to the generated intellectual property, imec has been supporting Panasonic for eight years to be at the leading position in innovation.