MINATEC’s history officially began on January 18, 2002, with the signing of a framework agreement by the project partners: the French government; local governments representing the Rhône-Alpes region, the Isère department (MINATEC project owner), the Grenoble-Alpes-Métropole greater metro area, and the City of Grenoble; plus the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA); Grenoble INP; and state-owned bank La Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations.
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The framework agreement cemented the project partners’ commitment to allocating significant resources to MINATEC with the goal of making the future campus Europe’s leading center for excellence in micro and nanotechnologies.
The CEA and Grenoble INP first launched the idea behind MINATEC. The project soon garnered the support of French Research Minister Roger-Gérard Schwartzenberg during his visit to Grenoble on November 9, 2000.
One of the objectives of the future center was to solidly position the Rhône-Alpes region in the international scientific, economic, and industrial arenas. Most notably, MINATEC would leverage the reputation of CEA Grenoble—and, in particular its laboratory Léti—as a leading source of innovation to achieve global recognition.
June 2008 marked a turning point in the history of MINATEC. The project partners signed an agreement governing the campus’ operations and management, Jean-Charles Guibert was appointed director, and a staff was set up to coordinate and promote the center’s activities.
The MINATEC team’s role is to:
- Boost MINATEC’s visibility and notoriety for the benefit of all participating organizations
- Enhance the campus’ attractiveness by building on existing expertise through synergies between the partners
MINATEC today represents investments of €152.45 million from the following sources:
- Local governments: €76.22 million
- The French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA): €32.32 million
- The French government: €13.42 million
- Private investors: More than €22.87 million
