The strategic watch of the OMNT

Micro and nanotechnologies, a key topic

The Observatory for Micro and NanoTechnologies - OMNT - is a joint unit between the CEA and the CNRS. It was created in 2005 to precociously detect weak signals heralding ruptures.

Thanks to a network of more than 300 experts, the OMNT carries out a continuous scientific watch on key topics of micro and nanotechnologies. The OMNT provides stakeholders from research and the economic world with analysis supporting them to understand the evolution of these technologies.

The OMNT publishes its work through various levels of publications: watch reports, workshops and CD-ROMs.

Publications of the OMNT are also available on-line through BiblioOMNT. This portal is restricted to the partners of the OMNT (experts, subscribers and founders).

The OMNT for everyone's benefit.

  • The OMNT experts: benefit from a privileged place of interdisciplinary exchanges, which is often the starting point of new projects.
  • Researchers : they find in the watch reports useful information directly usable for their daily activity.
  • Public research organizations : take advantage from a source of early strategic information supporting them to better evaluate and orientate the topics of their research. These organizations contribute to the development of the OMNT thanks to the involvement of their experts and their financial support.
  • Industrialists: benefit from the work of the OMNT supporting them to understand the high potential of nanotechnologies in their activity and helping them to imagine tomorrow's products.
  • The capital risk companies: benefit from information on new development opportunities as well as privileged contacts with the experts' network.
  • Public authorities: benefit from relevant summary reports on fast-evolution and complex fields which contributes to the management of public research.

A unique concept:

  • Analyses from more than 350 experts: the strategic watch is carried out by a network of experienced scientific and technical experts. This network is supplemented by experts in marketing.
  • A continuous technology watch: the experts meet 3, 4 or 5 times per year depending on the topic.
  • Multidisciplinary: the experts cover a wide panel of disciplines: biology, chemistry, optics, micro-electronics, energetic, physics, materials, etc.
  • Verticality: the entire R&D chain from basic to applied research is represented within the network.
  • Plurality: most of French public research organizations are present in the network: CEA, CNRS, Universities, Top graduate Schools... and few tens of foreign experts.
  • Relevant sets of topics: representative of the evolution of nanotechnologies.