Nov. 21, 2002 – Pittsburgh, PA – The MEMS Industry Group (MIG), the trade association representing the North American MEMS and microstructure industries, and NEXUS, the European Microsystems Network, based in Grenoble, France, have announced that they have entered into a partnership to foster greater development and commercialization of MEMS and MEMS-enabled devices in Europe and North America.

The first point of action for the two groups will be the establishment of the first North American user supplier club (USC), a concept that has successfully linked MEMS developers with MEMS users in Europe. In addition to USCs, MIG and NEXUS will begin working toward a global study of commercialization issues in the MEMS and microsystems industry, including the tracking of industry statistics and the development of a technology roadmap.

Henry Clement, MIG’s managing director, said, “MIG and NEXUS are committed to working toward the greater commercial development and use of MEMS technology, and this partnership reflects our commitment to that vision. The MEMS industry has been searching for new ways to bring buyers and sellers together, and the MIG/NEXUS partnership is the first step to meet that need.”

Gaetan Menozzi, director of Major Programs at MEMSCAP and chairman of the NEXUS steering committee, agrees: “The proposed collaboration between NEXUS and MIG will help strengthen the bridge between the micro- and nanotechnologies from across Europe and the USA. Through the NEXUS USCs, which have demonstrated their success during the past years, members will be able to formulate wider views on technology roadmaps and market opportunities in MEMS/MST. This opportunity for collaboration is widely appreciated by the NEXUS membership and forms part of the strategic aims of NEXUS to reinforce the MEMS industry development via exchanging information, analyzing data, and organizing workshops and missions.”