International cooperation in microsystem technology

Microsystem technology (MST) represents the technological basis for the design, fabrication, and application of microsystems. MST includes not only the well established methods of microelectronics (especially Si technology), but also exploits a variety of other special technologies. Compared to conventional macro system solutions, solutions including microsystems offer the advantage of smaller size and weight, less power consumption, increased reliability, more flexible manufacturing, and reduced cost. Microsystems also enable completely new functions and applications which are not feasible with conventional solutions. Microsystems are employed, or at least can be employed, in a large number of industrial application areas, e.g. automotive, aerospace, medical, environmental control, process control, peripherals and multimedia, consumer products, household, traffic control and guidance systems, and safety and security systems. It is expected that in the future microsystems could achieve an importance comparable to that of microelectronics today, covering almost every domain of human life