How often do you get to see how new sensors are developed, how electronics are manufactured at scale, and how research and industry connect, all in the same week?
In Braga, Portugal, as part of the SystemEU Valley Summit, we visited the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Bosch Braga and the University of Minho. Three places, each showing a different side of engineering.
INL: where the components begin
At INL we got a closer look at how chips and new sensor technologies are developed, fabricated and examined with advanced microscopy equipment. As engineers who integrate electronic components into our designs every day, it was fascinating to see the processes behind them.
Bosch Braga: production at scale
Bosch offered a completely different perspective: automotive electronics manufacturing and how complex products are brought into large-scale production. This is very relevant to our work. Designing a working prototype is one challenge; making sure the same design can be manufactured, tested and reproduced reliably is another.
University of Minho
We also connected with the academic and research community at the University of Minho.
What we enjoyed most was seeing how closely these worlds are connected. Research creates new possibilities, engineering turns them into working solutions, and manufacturing makes them available at scale.
Thank you to INL, Bosch Braga, the University of Minho and SystemEU for making these visits possible.