Lifeport is brimming with innovation in the field of chip packaging services. Take CITC (Chip Integration Technology Centre), for example. This organisation is currently working with a partner from Eindhoven on the technology of the future: 6G.
The Nijmegen-based CITC is currently working on the latest form of mobile communication technology. It is joining forces with AntenneX, a company specialising in, amongst other things, wireless communication. Together, they are conducting research, but they are also developing technological innovations that we may only see making their way into society in ten years’ time. One of these is the 6G network.
Packaging of chips
Within this collaboration, CITC focuses on the ‘packaging’ of the antennas and chips. The centre is a non-profit organisation established through collaboration between government, businesses and research institutions. Through this centre, other parties have access to the right innovations, infrastructure and education to further develop new technologies.
Francesca Chiappini confirms that packaging is an indispensable part of the process. She is Programme Manager at CITC: “You’ve probably never actually seen a chip in real life, only the packaging that surrounds it. Chips are very fragile, but that’s not the only reason we use packaging. It’s an essential element that enables chips to connect and communicate with the electronic devices they’re housed in.”
Valuable cooperation
AntenneX and CITC see significant added value in this collaboration. The two parties complement each other well in terms of their areas of expertise. As they do not have to compete with one another, they can share their knowledge risk-free. According to Chiappini, it is therefore only logical that they are now joining forces. CITC is investigating the packaging, whilst AntenneX is measuring how the antennas perform at ultra-high frequencies within their new packaging.
At AntenneX, they are very pleased with the collaboration with CITC. Co-founder Sander Bronckers says: “CITC is a major and well-established brand in the world of packaging. Working with them is therefore a great opportunity for us to raise awareness of our brand. A collaboration like this is a golden opportunity to make an impact. At the same time, we’re learning about our customers’ needs.”
Impact of 6G
According to both parties, 6G – which is currently under development – has the potential to bring about exciting developments. The technology ensures that consumers have access to greater bandwidth and can therefore share data with one another even faster. As a result, they will experience even faster internet, more devices will be able to connect to one another, and we will have the opportunity to explore entirely new forms of research.
For example, the technology could be of great value to the further development of self-driving cars. With the power of a 6G network, these vehicles will be able to communicate with one another in real time. In other words, they will be able to check at any moment where people and other vehicles are on the road. This will make the use of self-driving cars even safer.
High-tech for healthier and more sustainable living
Apart from the mobility side, CITC's work also focuses on Smart Energy and Smart Care. In doing so, they make an impact on healthier and more sustainable living, which is what Lifeport stands for. Would you like to keep up to date with these kinds of developments? Then keep watching us in the following ways:
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Source: Novio Tech Campus
