Sun Microsystems has located the third Sun Labs advanced research center, its first in Europe, in Grenoble, France. The center’s mission is to “seek innovation globally, develop breakthrough ideas that can be used to create breakaway products, and build relationships with computer and communications research communities throughout Europe and beyond.” It will primarily focus on leading-edge computing and communications technologies that enable the Internet Protocol (IP) to become a universal platform for “anytime, anywhere” data, voice, and multimedia services. According to Sun, technology transfer is what sets the labs apart—transforming most of their “big ideas” into tangible products.
Dr. Jeff Rulifson, director of Sun Labs Europe, cited Grenoble’s outstanding universities and research labs, attractive quality of life, and beautiful, central location as reasons for the site’s selection. Francois Regis Berriot, vice president of the Isere Conseil General, added, “Sun, a world leader in the computer industry, made a choice that acknowledges three facets of Grenoble: the dynamism of its ‘digital valley,’ the quality of its research infrastructure, and the high level of training of its population. With 23,000 jobs in the microelectronic, computer and communication technology fields, Grenoble is a truly exceptional site in France and Europe and Sun could not make a better choice than Isere, a department that lives by the rhythm of innovation.” Located near Sun’s International Center for Networked Computing (ICNC), Sun Labs Europe joins sister facilities in California and Massachusetts.
Based on a report from i-FM
