CNRS, Thales, NTU collaborate on new nanotechnology center in Singapore

Dec. 22, 2009

December 22, 2009--Just two months after the Nanyang Technological University (NTU; Singapore) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Paris with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Thales Group of Companies to setup a joint research laboratory, the three parties are meeting again in Singapore to inaugurate the CNRS-International-NTU-Thales Research Alliance (CINTRA) Laboratory at NTU. NTU researchers have pioneered many photonics and nanotechnology innovations.

December 22, 2009--Just two months after the Nanyang Technological University (NTU; Singapore) signed the Memorandum of Understanding in Paris with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Thales Group of Companies to set up a joint research laboratory, the three parties are meeting again in Singapore to inaugurate the CNRS-International-NTU-Thales Research Alliance (CINTRA) Laboratory at NTU. NTU researchers have pioneered numerous photonics and nanotechnology innovations (see "Collaboration to yield early SARS, cardiovascular disease detector" and "GaAs-based upconverter is efficient for near-IR light").

Located at the Research Techno Plaza, the CINTRA Laboratory aims to harness the latest in science and technology to develop innovations in nanotechnologies for computing, sensing and communications applications.

Over the next two years, about 50 Singapore and French researchers will work on critical issues and challenges faced by existing technologies in the microelectronic and photonic industries, promising innovations to meet future commercial as well as defense and security needs. Examples of such application-driven challenges include the development of enabling technologies such as an imaging chip to process and display real-time multi-dimensional information, and a low-power signal processing chip capable of super high-speed performance of a trillion bits (terabit) per second or more.

NTU President Su Guaning said, "NTU is acknowledged as a University that seeks to be relevant to the needs of industry, innovating and pioneering new application areas while building on our staff's core competencies. We seek to be nimble, listening closely to the research trends while responding to the needs of the industry."

"We are indeed grateful to CNRS and Thales for the confidence that they have shown in NTU. Together with CNRS' strength in research and Thales' experience in the global market, we shall make the CINTRA Laboratory an example of how upstream research can turn into successful commercial products and applications in a most unexpected way," said Dr Su.

For more information, go to news.ntu.edu.sg.

--Posted by Gail Overton, [email protected]; www.laserfocusworld.com.