FBK Clean Room – Where the technology of the future is born

    Thanks to scientific excellence and the ability to attract international talent – with researchers from over 59 countries – FBK has grown from an advanced research center into a platform capable of transforming laboratory results into concrete solutions for industry, public administration, and society.

    Today, the Foundation is one of the strategic nodes of European innovation, a key player also in the so-called second quantum revolution, with applications ranging from advanced sensing to communications, up to artificial intelligence integrated into physical systems.

    The Sensors & Devices Center features a Clean Room, a laboratory cleaner than an operating room, where silicon wafers are processed to produce radiation detectors used in fundamental physics experiments. Some of these are located in CERN’s particle accelerator in Geneva, while others orbit aboard the International Space Station.

    The Clean Room covers an area of 1,400 sq m and is also equipped for MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) production, materials characterization, and micro-nano-fabrication. Miniaturized sensors and devices are designed and manufactured here, with applications in autonomous mobility technologies, energy, and telecommunications.

    IPCEI Investments
    Thanks to a total investment of 82 million euros, of which 12 million are dedicated to the construction of new buildings, the Clean Room will reach 2,000 sq m by 2027, establishing itself as one of the main facilities of its kind in Europe.

    A decisive role was played by the European programs IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest), which allowed FBK to strengthen infrastructure, skills, and industrial capacity. In particular, the new IPCEI ME/CT project, with over 50 million euros, aligns with the European Chips Act strategy and aims at developing a new generation of microelectronic sensors and systems based on innovative materials such as silicon carbide and germanium.

    These investments not only enhance research, but also strengthen European technological sovereignty and create an ecosystem connecting research, industry, and the local region.
    Not just laboratories, but real workshops of the future: in FBK’s Clean Rooms, a new generation of technologies takes shape, promising to transform industry, energy, and society. A concrete example of how research, strategic investments, and talent can translate into real innovation with global impact.

    Thanks to long-term investments, unique infrastructures, and strong collaboration with the industrial world, FBK has established itself as one of the main European reference points in the development of photonic sensors and microelectronics technologies.

    FBK is a recognized leader in the field of photonics at national, European, and international levels. This expertise has been built and consolidated consistently and progressively over the past twenty years, rooted in the creation—over thirty years ago—of the Center dedicated to microsystems, now Sensors and Devices.

    Continuous investment in infrastructure and research, combined with a long-term vision, underpins technological development, achieved results, and international recognition. Success in deep-tech technologies stems precisely from this high level of specialization.

    Thirty years of research in photonics have established the Foundation among the international centers of excellence for the development of integrated photonic circuits and photon detection (IR, THz, Lidar, RF). This leadership, recognized globally and in Europe, is reflected in its leading role within the Pilot lines of the Chips Act program and major projects structured around Quantum Science and technologies, key to enabling development and access to frontier technology platforms in Europe.

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    ERDF Operational Programme 2021-2027

    As part of the ERDF Operational Programme 2021-2027 of the Autonomous Province of Trento, FBK develops strategic projects to enhance its research infrastructures.

    1. Sensors and Devices Center

    The project for the Implementation and Integration of the Infrastructure of the Sensors and Devices Center (I3SD) aims to renew micro-fabrication and materials characterization equipment. The procurement of scientific equipment is carried out through a European tender.

    Pillars of the project:

    1. Renewal of obsolete equipment;
    2. Reduction of maintenance and service contracts;
    3. Optimization of operational staff;
    4. Replacement with cutting-edge technologies.

    The project supports the priorities of the Smart Specialisation Strategy 2021-2027 of the Autonomous Province of Trento (digital infrastructures, photonics, IoT, Smart City, KETs, and quantum technologies) as well as the NRRP NQSTI, IPCEI ME/CT, and Chips Act initiatives.

    Funding: €5.78M | Duration: 36 months