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Innovative architecture in keeping with Minatec's ambitions

EDITO
With Minatec, Isère's local authorities are preparing the future Isère's Departmental Council gave the official go-ahead for the Minatec centre in July 2001. On 22 November 2002 it announced the winner of the architectural competition, marking the next important step towards completion of this ambitious project. The project involves setting up Minatec, the first European centre for innovation in micro and nanotechnology, at a total cost of e 169m. It will pool the efforts of universities, research and industry. In view of the importance of what was at stake, the new council, elected in March 2001, decided to back the project. By opting to take overall responsibility for Minatec the council has demonstrated its determination to act as a driving force in the economic development of the Isère department, rather than simply endors-ing policies decided elsewhere by other bodies. The council's decision reflects its commitment to support scientific and industrial development projects essential to innovation. The future of microelectronics and new technologies in the area depends on Minatec, which is why it is so important for Isère. The centre, which will be unique in Europe, will create thousands of jobs over the next 10 or 20 years, with repercussions for the whole of Isère. As such, Minatec is emblematic of the Isère Departmental Council's new proactive economic policy. André Vallini, President of the Isère Departmental Council and Member of Parliament for Isère	The right choice... From the outset, all the various partners in the Minatec project were keen to give priority to the idea that it should operate as a functional unit and that it must be developed in such a way as to strengthen links between future users. This determination is reflected in the decision to give overall responsibility for the project to a single organization, the Isère Departmental Council. The choice of architecture is a practical expression of the same determination. All the partners agreed on the project, which stands out on account of its architectural unity, the clear positioning of the various buildings and the links between them. Once completed, Minatec will consist of Léti's existing facilities, the future Nanotec 300 building and the Minatec development project itself. The integration of new and existing components, with Minatec fitting into a larger whole, is crucial to the success of the undertaking. The winning project fully satisfies these expect-ations. Furthermore it provides for the integration of subsequent extensions. Lastly it is remarkably compact, requiring a small amount of land and leaving plenty of scope for future development. The new centre will be a place for collaborative working and must consequently facilitate close links. At the same time, it must ensure a certain degree of confidentiality between players (particularly within the framework of industrial partnerships). It must provide graduated access for the various categories of user. Achieving the right balance between these seemingly paradoxical demands was a major challenge. But the solution proposed by the winning design team is ideal. Students belonging to the INP Grenoble group will be linked directly to their own laboratories, located close to Leti's. Similarly the high technology building (BHT) stands opposite the laboratories to be used by industry. In the same spirit the "main street", which leads to Maison des Micro et Nanotechnologies (MMNT), will become the social focus for everyone working at Minatec. Lastly the MMNT is well placed to act as a gateway to the outside world, an interface between Minatec and the city. In short this project integrates in a harmonious, well organized manner all the centre's internal functions as jointly defined by its future users. In partnership with France's Energy Saving Agency (Ademe), CEA has initiated a drive in favour of sustainable development. The local authorities, and in particular the Departmental Council, were keen that the Minatec project should comply with the High Environmental Quality (HQE) standard. The winning design is also the one that caters most successfully for these demands, both in terms of its use of renewable energy sources and control of power and fluid consumption. For all these reasons I should like to congratulate those responsible for this magnificent architectural project and the President of the Isère Departmental Council for making the right choice, following the unanimous recommendation of the jury. Jean Therme, Director of CEA Grenoble and CEA-Leti	An important step The choice of the architectural project for Minatec, on 22 November 2002, is a new step forward for Europe's leading centre for micro and nanotechnology innov-ation. Selecting the prime contractor is a major step in the deployment of the Minatec project. It sets in motion the construction of INP Grenoble's future build-ings on the Minatec site, a key moment for the project's identity. The compactness of the architectural project lends a certain consistency to the centre's various activities. It will encourage exchanges between Minatec's three main components: training, research and industrial transfer. The links between the project and the city are symbolized by the esplanade in front of Maison des Micro et Nanotechnologies (MMNT) and the INP Grenoble building. The opening on this side was facilitated by the City Council, which made additional land along Rue Esclangon available for the project. As far as the INP Grenoble structure is concerned, the design team has achieved a good compromise between the specific demands of teaching premises, the Materials and Physical Engineering Laboratory (LMGP) and the university refectory. The same is true of the advanced components building (BCA), part of which will house the Institute of Microelectronics, Electromagnetism and Photonics (IMEP) and the Interunivesity Microelectronics Centre (CIME) with its new clean room. I should like to thank all those who have contributed to the project's success: national and local government, and in particular the Isère Departmental Council which has taken over-all responsibility for the project, as well as the various teams involved in producing the project. The next important step will the start of building in a year. In the meantime INP Grenoble will carry on the work it has started with all its partners. Paul Jacquet, President of INP Grenoble

Above: the south-east façade of the advanced components building (BCA). It will accommodate CEA and INP Grenoble researchers, linking research and training, two key Minatec components. 1 : Smart devices building (BOC)=> click to enlarge 2 : Advanced components building (BCA), CEA laboratories => click to enlarge 3 : Advanced components building (BCA), INP Grenoble laboratories=> click to enlarge 4 : High technology building (BHT) => click to enlarge 5 : Maison des Micro et Nanotechnologies (MMNT)=> click to enlarge 6 : INP Grenoble building (engineering school) => click to enlarge 7 : Existing CEA-Leti laboratoires => click to enlarge The pedestrian precinct is an essential part of Minatec, running north from the MMNT. The centre's main activities are located on either side of the precinct. It is both a means of access and a place to meet and relax. It will have an indoor atmosphere, thanks to the canopies over the entrances and the interplay and light and shade from the lattice roof. => click to enlarge The Maison des Micro et Nanotechnologies (MMNT) is the centre's frontispiece, opening onto the city of Grenoble. It is entirely given over to exchange and communication. In particular it houses an amphitheatre seating 400 people. => click to enlarge Smart architecture The innovative architecture is on a par with Minatec's ambitions. The whole centre is covered by a distinctive lattice structure visible from the hills above. Beneath it a pedestrian precinct, ideal for informal encounters, runs north-south linking the four main build-ings. The project was designed by the Groupe 6* firm of architects, the winner of the international competition for the new research, development and training centre. Minatec itself consists of a compact unit designed to encourage synergy between its various components: research into smart devices (BOC) and advanced components (BCA); high technology (BHT) for industrial development; promotion and coordination with Maison des Micro et Nanotechnologies (MMNT). A raised walkway connects Minatec to the two engineering schools belonging to the INP Grenoble group that will be part of the centre, specializing in electronics (Enserg) and physics (ENSPG), respectively. Taken as a whole the centre will cover 44,000 sq m and connect to the recently developed Europole district of Grenoble. Set off by the striking architecture of the MMNT, with its amphitheatre, it will form a showcase for the city's scientific research park which is home, among others, to CEA (including Leti), ILL, ESRF, EMBL and CNRS.Minatec will meet the requirements of the French High Environmental Quality (HQE) standard. In addition, the lattice structure, covering the roofs of the four main buildings will be fitted with a 200 kW photovoltaic generator - the largest currently planned in France - and will provide for additional solar panels. * Groupe 6 has designed hi-tech industrial facilities, shopping malls, hospitals and schools and contributed to various town planning projects. It employs about 100 people and is one of the top five firms of architects in France. For the Minatec project it joined forces with Setec (electrical networks), Faure Ingénierie (clean rooms), Adret (HQE design) and Tecset (economics).

Official presentation of the scale model of the Minatec centre by André Vallini, president of the Isère Departmental Council, which has taken overall responsibility for the project, in the presence of Nadine Guillemot, vice-president of INP Grenoble. From left to right: Michel Issindou, mayor of Gières and vice-president of the Métro (greater Grenoble council), Denis Pinot, departmental councillor and president of the contracting committee, Geneviève Fioraso, Grenoble city council dep-uty and vice-president of the Métro in charge of new technology, André Vallini, Jean Therme, director of CEA-Grenoble and CEA-Leti, Edmond Roy, vice-president of the Departmental Council in charge of economic development, research and international relations.

SCHEDULE	KEY FIGURES	FACILITIES
2000: project launched by CEA and INP Grenoble. 2001: project definition in partnership with local (Rhône-Alpes Region, Isère Department, Greater Grenoble, Grenoble City) and national government. 18 January 2002: signature of framework agreement, under which Isère Departmental Council takes overall responsibility for project. 22 November 2002: choice of prime contractor by André Vallini, president of Isère Departmental Council. 2003: final definition of preliminary and detailed project. early 2004: start of work. September 2005: new Minatec centre buildings opened	Overall budget: e169m, funded by CEA (e 30.49m), national government (e 13.42m), Rhône-Alpes Region (e 21.3m), Isère Departmental Council (e 35.4m), Métro (e 8.38m), Grenoble City (e 8.38m), private sector funds (e 51.63m). Total area: 8 hectares. Built-up area: 44,000 sq m. Number of people who will work on the site: 4,000, including 1,000 students and 2,000 researchers, engineers and teaching staff. .	2,000 sq m clean rooms. 20,000 sq m high technology laboratories (characterization, physical and electrical testing, component and system design). Two engineering schools (9,000 sq m). A microelectronics and microsystems continuous training centre. A centre for promoting and coordinating the centre in Maison des Micro et Nanotechnologies (amphitheatre seating 400). A university refectory.

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The Minatec Newsletter is published by Agence d'Etudes et de Promotion de l'Isère.
Senior editors: Paul Jacquet, President of INP Grenoble / Jean Therme, Director of CEA Grenoble
Editor and coordinator: AEPI, Jacques Chevallier
Editorial committee: Minatec project team
Graphic Design: Insign. Photos : CEA, Groupe 6, INP Grenoble, CGI, X..... / Translation: Harry Forster
Production and printing: SGP, 38330 Biviers

Postal address: Pôle d'Innovation Minatec - 17 Rue des Martyrs - 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9