CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LA NANOELETTRONICA

Their core work

IUNET is an Italian inter-university consortium specializing in nanoelectronics, power semiconductors, and advanced sensor technologies. They contribute research expertise in semiconductor materials (SiC, GaN), chip reliability, and neuromorphic computing to large European electronics pilot lines and industrialization projects. Their work spans the full chain from materials research through device fabrication to system-level reliability validation, serving Europe's push for sovereign semiconductor capabilities. They also bridge into biomedical applications, applying micro-fabrication and iontronics expertise to neuromodulation devices.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), IUNET focused on established semiconductor technologies: CMOS roadmapping, silicon carbide pilot lines, smart power on 300mm wafers, and radiation-hardened memory for space. From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward wide-bandgap power semiconductors (GaN and SiC for automotive, energy, and industrial applications), neuromorphic computing, and AI-enabled electronics reliability. This evolution mirrors Europe's strategic pivot from incremental silicon improvements to next-generation power electronics and edge AI.

IUNET is moving toward GaN-based power conversion for e-mobility and energy efficiency, combined with emerging work in neuromorphic hardware — expect them to pursue projects at the intersection of intelligent power management and edge AI.

How they like to work

IUNET operates exclusively as a consortium partner — across all 20 projects they have never served as coordinator, which is typical for inter-university consortia that contribute specialized research rather than project management. They work in large consortia (457 unique partners across 29 countries), particularly in ECSEL/KDT-style joint undertaking projects with dozens of industrial and academic participants. This makes them a reliable, low-friction research partner who integrates well into big European electronics initiatives without competing for the coordination role.

IUNET has collaborated with 457 unique partners across 29 countries, giving them one of the broadest networks in European nanoelectronics. Their participation in major ECSEL joint undertaking projects connects them to the continent's key semiconductor manufacturers, automotive suppliers, and research institutes.

What sets them apart

As a national inter-university consortium, IUNET aggregates nanoelectronics expertise from multiple Italian universities into a single entity — making them a one-stop access point to Italy's academic semiconductor research base. Their dual strength in both GaN and SiC wide-bandgap technologies is uncommon; most groups specialize in one material system. For consortium builders, partnering with IUNET effectively brings Italian university research capacity into the project without needing to negotiate with individual institutions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Arrowhead Tools
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 997,500) — a major digitalization platform project showing IUNET's capacity to take on substantial work packages.
• iRel40
  EUR 885,062 for intelligent reliability research — represents IUNET's deep expertise in electronics quality assurance and physics-of-failure methods at industrial scale.
• IN-FET
  An unusual cross-domain project applying nanoelectronics fabrication to epilepsy treatment via ionic neuromodulation — shows the consortium's ability to transfer semiconductor skills into biomedical applications.