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About SI
Strategy
Research and education in heterogeneous integrated systems require a departure from previous models. The complexity and breadth of the issues at stake is possibly unprecedented. There are several ingredients that are necessary to perform excellent and relevant research in this area. The first one is to have the pool of competences that goes beyond the capability of a single laboratory. The second ingredient is a continuous interaction with the industrial world, to provide a feedback mechanism on the realistic impact of research done within the university domain, as well as to provide a path to physical realization of ideas, which cannot be completely done within the university.
The overall strategic objective is to make the centre the premiere point of reference in Europe. To meet this objective, the centre will support the synergy among various disciplines and enhance the visibility of the research results. In particular, the center will support the following actions:
1) Provide a framework to member faculty to work on interdisciplinary projects, as well as a critical mass to secure research funding in Switzerland and abroad. Establish links to other research institutions. Provide students with joint advising to pursue research across different domains.
2) Establish a link with industries and create an advisory board and a funding mechanism for research. Benefits to companies will include: i) being partners and having access to pre-competitive research, ii) sponsoring one (or more) doctoral student through a Fellow-Mentor-Advisor (FMA) program, in which a sponsored student receives technical advice from both a center faculty member and a scientist from the sponsoring company, iii) participating in meetings and specialized seminar series (possibly broadcast via internet to sponsoring companies), iv) being able to send visiting scientists to the center, v) sponsor research projects. Benefit to the centre include: i) being able to showcase research and achieve wide impact, ii) securing funding to start and continue cooperative projects, iii) developing and keeping strategic partners, iv) benefiting from the interaction with visiting scientists, v) promoting an EPFL vision of research and innovation.