Imec launches neural science lab

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Belgium's Imec research institute has officially opened a new center to study the brain as part of a broader European research program. The Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF) lab will explore nanoelectronics, biotechnology and neurology to better understand how the brain works.

NERF will contribute to Europe's Human Brain Project, one of six proposed initiatives for funding from the European Flagship Program which will be launched next year. Only two of the proposals will be picked to get support from multiple European sources for a ten year period.

The Human Brain Project, currently led by a Swiss group, aims to use large databases and supercomputers to model brain nerve cells and connections. For its part, Imec has sponsored ongoing programs in neural technology for several years as part of its expansion into technology horizons beyond semiconductor process technology.