SEMICON experiences successful French inauguration

SEMICON Europa 2014 represented semiconductor industry excellence, through the 400 firms that were present at the event. The event had over 18% additional exhibitors and a 28% increase in attendance. Close to 6,000 semiconductor experts, professionals and visitors were brought together to meet the exhibiting companies. The 70 conferences on various thematics covered the breadth of issues this sector deals with, from design to final manufacturing and applications.

SEMICON Europa attracts visitors from around the world and from major microelectronics and electronics systems companies, including buying teams from the world’s top capital spending IDMs, foundries and fabless companies, as well as from leading European electronic systems, components and application manufacturers.

Anne-Marie Dutron, General Director, SEMI Europe, commented: “We are proud of this first French edition success. This was made possible thanks to the active participation of exhibitors, which permitted high-level technology and innovation during the event. I also thank the numerous visitors, who came to Grenoble's 'French Silicon Valley', to discover an overview of the sector’s future.”

57% of visitors say that their attendance at SEMICON Europa will influence buying decisions made over the next 12 months, whilst 88% of visitors say they plan to return to SEMICON Europa next year, according to SEMICON's Europa 2014 visitor survey.

For the first time, SEMICON Europa offered a dedicated place for booming innovation companies, selecting 30 start-ups which were able to present their innovations to both attendees and investors.

At Innovation Village, a unique place to meet and share innovations, attendees, entrepreneurs and investors obtained insights into technology markets and learned about collaboration strategies, necessary for mutual success.

For instance, IRLynx, (a French start-up) came to draw attention to the numerous possible applications of its human activity sensing module technology. Its attendance at SEMICON Europa has been profitable since the company signed a partnership with Foreis, an endowment funds company.

Sébastien Fabre, CEO, IRLynx, commented, “Beyond the recognition of potential in the power and the relevance of our offers and our technology, the confidence given by Foreis is a guarantee for our partners and clients. More than a simple investment, this relationship has already helped us in starting and finalising an industrial partnership with key stakeholders of the sector.”