On 1st February 2024, the working group on Neuromorphic Technologies and AI of AESEMI has started its activities, coordinated by the Basque technology centre IKERLAN. The main objective of the group is to bring together the research and development activities of the most relevant research centres and universities in the areas related to neuromorphic technologies and AI, promoting the creation of competitive advantages and business opportunities for the Spanish industry.
Neuromorphic technologies seek to replicate through microelectronic and/or photonic designs the brain’s mechanisms for processing information, achieving unprecedented levels of performance and energy efficiency. Neuromorphic technologies are expected to overcome the current limitations of AI chips, enabling the development of third-generation AI – even more capable than its predecessors.
The past few years have seen an explosion in the number of deep-tech startups commercialising neuromorphic chips. Yole’s technology and market report forecasts that neuromorphic chips will account for 18% of the global AI chip market by 2035, capturing a segment worth an estimated $20B*. In this context of technological disruption, the fundamental objective of the working group is to position Spain as a pole of reference for the coming third generation of neuromorphic AI.
A main objective of the group is to help capitalise on the innovation opportunities offered by neuromorphic technologies, transforming them into business opportunities through the creation of new deep-tech companies. Another core objective of the group is to facilitate the adoption of neuromorphic technologies by industry by proposing and demonstrating techniques for integrating neuromorphic designs into conventional processing architectures and sensors. In addition, the group wants to help consolidate a design and manufacturing chain for neuromorphic technologies in Spain using materials with new electrical properties and functionalities especially suited to this type of technology.
Therefore, the group’s activities are expected to help achieve the strategic objectives pursued by the PERTE Chip microelectronics and semiconductor cluster, driving innovation at the forefront of the industry, catalysing the growth of the national fabless sector, and promoting the manufacture of chips based on new materials in Spain.
AESEMI’s Neuromorphic Technologies and AI working group includes leading universities, fundamental and applied research centres, foundries, deep-tech start-ups, business development agencies and industrial companies, thus consolidating a collaborative platform that fosters synergies between entities of different nature and with presence in different critical sectors: aerospace, transport, health, robotics and Industry 4.0.
The initial members of the working group, distributed in five Autonomous Communities (Basque Country, Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and Valencia), are: IKERLAN, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Photonics Research Lab of the ITEAM institute of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM) of the Universitat Jaume I, Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (CSIC-IMB-CNM), Institute of Microelectronics of Seville (CSIC-IMSE-CNM), Cajal International Neuroscience Centre (CSIC-CINC), Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Biobizkaia, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), PAL Robotics, GMV, Thales Alenia Space, New Infrared Technologies (NIT), VLC Photonics (Hitachi), Irisbond, Technaid, Cyber Surgery, Crisalion, Ficosa, iPronics, Imasenic, Qurv Technologies, Graphenea, the Basque Business Development Agency (SPRI). The group also includes the participation of Raquel Jorge Ricart, researcher at the Real Instituto Elcano.
The working group is open to new members.
More information: https://aesemi.org/comisiones
Contact: Xabier Iturbe, coordinator of the AESEMI working group on Neuromorphic Technologies and AI (xiturbe@ikerlan.es)
* Yole, Neuromorphic Computing and Sensing, Market and Technology Report 2021
