Sébastien Dauvé with CEO of CEA-Leti

Sébastien Dauvé has been CEO of CEA-Leti since July 1, 2021. With over 20 years of experience in microelectronics and their applications—including clean mobility, future medicine, cybersecurity, and power electronics—he has played a key role in advancing digital innovation. A graduate of École Polytechnique and ISAE-SUPAERO, he began his career in defense radar systems before joining CEA-Leti in 2003. There, he led R&D activities in sensors, the Internet of Things, and system integration.

He has successfully designed and implemented strategies to accelerate technology transfer and support startup creation, always promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration to address key societal challenges through innovation. From sensors to wireless communications, his work focuses on combining energy efficiency with high performance to enable responsible, high-impact technological progress.

Tell us about your company?

Located in Europe’s deeptech hotspot of Grenoble, France, CEA-Leti has been pioneering innovation in micro and nanotechnologies since 1967. It is part of the CEA, a Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovator.

CEA-Leti’s model is designed to support companies throughout the innovation lifecycle. Companies of all types and sizes, from startups to major global corporations, have entered into long-term partnerships with CEA-Leti at various stages of their R&D journeys, from proof of concept to scaling new solutions up for volume manufacturing.

Today, CEA-Leti employs 2,000 people and boasts state-of-the-art technology platforms. These include clean rooms capable of processing 300 and 200 mm wafers.

What problems are you solving?

At CEA-Leti, we are addressing some of today’s most pressing technological and societal challenges by developing innovative solutions in microelectronics and nanotechnology. Expanding the “lab-to-fab” concept is at the heart of our mission — we accelerate the industrial adoption of cutting-edge technologies to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty. Our work goes beyond performance—we are increasingly placing sustainability at the core of innovation. By combining scientific excellence with a strong industry focus, we help shape a more responsible and competitive future for the tech sector.

What application areas are your strongest?

We are fortunate to master a number of technologies in which we have developed strong expertise, including photonics, healthcare technologies, quantum computing, sensors, advanced wireless communications and power electronics. This expertise enables us to prepare for longer-term technological breakthroughs, for example:

– Neuromorphic computing, in-memory computing and advanced FD-SOI technologies for high-performance, energy-efficient AI;

– Advanced chip-to-chip interconnections, leveraging photonics and heterogeneous integration to enable next-generation computing architectures;

– Miniaturization of systems for organs-on-a-chip, opening up new possibilities for personalized medicine and reducing reliance on animal experimentation.

In all cases, we are increasingly focused on developing solutions with a low environmental impact.

What does the competitive landscape look like and how do you differentiate?

Clearly, the semiconductor field is highly competitive and, above all, fast-paced in terms of innovation. There are only a handful of institutes at this level in the world, and it’s no coincidence that Europe has chosen us to be a key player in the European Chips Act. For over a year now, we have been coordinating a pilot line called FAMES, which has enabled us to expand our resources and, above all, to run large-scale programs for industry. This further strengthens our position.

But that’s still not quite enough. More than ever, we need to strengthen our ties and collaborations with other technological institutes and research centers. We share many common topics with our colleagues in fundamental research at the CEA, have numerous collaborations with CNRS, INRIA, IMT, etc. via the PEPR, and with many other European and even international RTOs. This capacity for collaboration is invaluable and truly enables us to remain at the cutting edge of technology.

Contact CEA-Leti

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