Pat Brans

Grenoble

Freelance Contributor at Freelance

Science and tech journalist: After 22 years working on the leading-edge, I now write about science, technology, and innovation.

Featured in: Favicon

forbes.com Favicon

techtarget.com Favicon

cio.com

computerweekly.com Favicon

idg.se

lemondeinformatique.fr Favicon

lemagit.fr Favicon

ciospain.es Favicon

cioperu.pe Favicon

channelasia.tech (+1) + 8 more

Articles

Building Europe’s Chip Future

1 week ago | eetimes.eu | Pat Brans

At Silicon Saxony Day 2025, held on June 17 at Dresden Airport—in the heart of Europe’s most vibrant semiconductor cluster—the theme was unmistakable: Europe’s future in chips depends on strategic collaboration, deep-tech ecosystems, and a sustainability mindset that goes beyond compliance.
Sustainable Chip Manufacturing Takes Focus at Silicon Saxony Day 2025

1 week ago | eetimes.eu | Pat Brans

The 2025 edition of Silicon Saxony Day, held on June 17 in Dresden, Germany, spotlighted how Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem is embracing sustainability not just as a goal but as a driver of innovation. The event featured a dedicated track on green technologies and processes in chip production, highlighting the industry’s response to climate concerns and regulatory pressure.
Europe Bets on Heterogeneous Integration on 300-mm Wafers

1 week ago | eetimes.eu | Pat Brans

At Silicon Saxony Day 2025, Manuela Junghähnel, head of wafer-level system integration at Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID, laid out a roadmap that could redefine how Europe approaches advanced chip packaging on 300-mm wafers—by making 3D heterogeneous integration a pillar of technological sovereignty. On June 17, 2025, at Silicon Saxony Day in Dresden, Germany, Junghähnel stepped onto the Smart Systems stage with a mission that went well beyond technology.
Applied Materials, CEA-Leti Deepen Ties with Specialty Chip Lab

1 week ago | eetimes.eu | Pat Brans

In a move signaling Europe’s growing prominence in semiconductor innovation, Applied Materials and CEA-Leti have announced an expansion of their joint lab in Grenoble, France, to focus on full-flow development of specialty chips. The announcement, made after a signing event attended by both companies’ CEOs, underscores the rising importance of IoT, communications, automotive, power, and sensor (ICAPS) technologies in powering the infrastructure of the AI era.
Fusion and AI: How private sector tech is powering progress at ITER

2 weeks ago | computerweekly.com | Pat Brans

In April 2025, at the ITER Private Sector Fusion Workshop in Cadarache, something remarkable unfolded. In a room filled with scientists, engineers and software visionaries, the line between big science and commercial innovation began to blur.
チップレットを自動車へ課題は「1万個の接続点」の耐久性：imecが取り組みを加速（1/3 ページ）

3 weeks ago | eetimes.itmedia.co.jp | Pat Brans

現代の自動車は急速に“車輪のついたデータセンター”になりつつあり、モビリティだけでなく、自律性や安全性、継続的なソフトウェアアップデートを提供することを期待されている。こうした期待は高性能コンピューティングに対する飽くなき要求を伴うが、その動作環境はデータセンターやスマートフォンとは根本的に異なる。システムは、熱や振動、24時間365日の稼働が当たり前の過酷な条件下で、10〜15年の車両寿命にわたって確実に動作する必要がある。 imecの車載担当バイスプレジデントを務めるBart Plackle氏出所：imec そこで出番となるのがimecだ。ベルギーの研究機関であるimecは、数十年にわたる半導体のイノベーションを、自動車業界の最も差し迫った課題の1つである「パワフルで効率に優れ、長期にわたって堅ろうな車載コンピューティングプラットフォームの設計」に応用している。 imecの車載担当バイスプレジデントを務めるBart Plackle氏は、ベルギーのアントワープで開催された「ITF World 2025」（2025年5月20〜21日）でEE Times...
Imec ITF World 2025: The hardware horizon for AI

1 month ago | computerweekly.com | Pat Brans

Imec CEO Luc Van den hove opened ITF World 2025 by calling for “disruptive innovation over incremental change”. He underscored the need for tighter global collaboration to overcome looming bottlenecks in compute power, energy use and chip architecture. “By supercharging our innovation engine,we can future-proof our prosperity,” said Van den hove. The message resonated across sectors.
Imec’s Vision for Automotive Over the Long Haul

1 month ago | eetimes.eu | Pat Brans

Modern vehicles are fast becoming data centers on wheels, expected to deliver not just mobility but also autonomy, safety, and a continuous stream of software updates. These expectations come with an insatiable demand for high-performance computing—but in a radically different operating environment from data centers or smartphones. Systems must operate reliably over the vehicle’s 10- to 15-year lifespan, in harsh conditions where heat, vibration, and 24/7 uptime are the norm.
4 goals to target when building AI skills

2 months ago | cio.com | Pat Brans

IT leaders who are serious about preparing their organizations for AI should deliver training that targets a specific set of outcomes.
Microsoft remains committed to AI in France

2 months ago | computerweekly.com | Pat Brans

With a large ecosystem of partners in France in both the public and private sectors, Microsoft already has a big stake in the country. But last May, the company announced it will be upping the ante with an investment of €4bn to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies. The company said that much of the money will go towards developing a datacentre using the latest generation of technology and in training citizens on AI.