Introduction
Several important societal and economic world problems can be addressed by
the smart use of technology. The past 40 years have witnessed the
realization of computational systems and networks, rooted in our ability to
craft complex integrated circuits out of billions of electronic devices.
Nowadays, the ability to master materials at the molecular level and their
interaction with living matter opens up unforeseeable horizons. Networking
biological sensors through body-area, ad hoc and standard
communication networks boosts the intrinsic power of local measurements, and
allows us to reach new standards in health management. The Swiss Nano-Tera
program addresses applications of nanotechnologies to health management, and
it has been instrumental in fostering research and innovation in this
domain.
The Nano-Tera program
Nano-Tera addresses system engineering research that leverages micro-, nano-,
information, and communication technologies. The broad objectives of the
program are both to improve quality of life and security of people across
different levels of education, wealth and age, and eventually to create
innovative products, technologies and manufacturing methods, thus resulting
in job and revenue creation. Although the principal application domains are
health and environment, energy and security issues are also investigated as
support areas. The intrinsic value of the underlying research is to bridge
traditional disciplines, including electrical engineering,
micro/nano-mechanical systems engineering, biomedical sciences, and
computer/communication sciences, with the objectives of (i) deepening
the understanding of enabling technologies, (ii) reducing scientific
concepts to practice, and (iii) mastering the novel challenges of designing
large-scale complex systems.