Paris, FRANCE, April 7, 2016. – StarChip is the project leader of a collaborative task force, which brings together SPS, Dolphin Integration, Morpho, and 2 public research laboratories IM2NP and TIMA, within the SCS Cluster associated with the Minalogic Cluster.

StarChip (Safran), experts in designing, qualifying and industrializing Smart Card integrated circuits (IC), today has obtained a 3-year funding, by the European Union, the French State, Région Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur, Conseil Général 13, Ville de Rousset and the Community of Aix-en-Provence, for the development of a new technology: LISA (Ultra-Low power IC for Secure RF Applications). The LISA project will develop dual-interface chips, designed for secure RF (radio-frequency) applications such as banking, ID, transport or connected objects, using innovative wireless technology offering substantial costs reduction during the card manufacturing process.

One of the biggest challenges when manufacturing dual-interface cards is to connect the electronic module with the antenna as it may lead to higher yield losses due to mechanical-electrical problems. In addition, one of the key issue in secure wireless product is the hardware cost and complexity, mainly due to chip consumption and terminal diversity. To overcome these issues, StarChip and its partners are working on a breakthrough patented solution based on an ultra-low power IC. The solution will allow hardware high simplification, cost reduction and will naturally improve reliability and manufacturing yield.

 “Thanks to this funding and the knowledge and expertise of all the partners involved in the LISA project, we are bringing a technology that will revolutionize the contactless market. LISA will help improve manufacturing of contactless/dual interface cards. By adopting this technology, card manufacturers will be able to save up to 50% on the cost of ownership,” says Romain Palmade, StarChip Contactless & NFC Expert.

About STARCHIP:
StarChip, part of Safran Group, is a dynamic semiconductor company that enables customers to directly benefit from our unique, optimized value chain system. We design and qualify products for mass production, then license our solutions for purchase directly by our customers through qualified foundries and test houses. StarChip products are based on state-of-the art, Flash-based 32-bit architectures. They are designed to offer maximum integration, providing support for embedded, innovative security technologies, analog functionality and connectivity and control interfaces. The result is a flexible set of solutions that can easily meet the requirements of a wide variety of markets, including smart cards and security, consumer, automotive and industrial applications      

About SPS:
About SPS: Smart Packaging Solutions is specialized in the design, manufacturing and sale of contactless solutions dedicated to ID cards, e-passport and dual interface banking cards. Headquartered in Rousset, France, with a subsidiary in Singapore, SPS employs 120 people. Part of the French group ‘Imprimerie Nationale’, the company specializes in contactless and dual-interface products, with a recognized micro packaging expertise. SPS has filed over 120 patents supporting its exclusive technologies. More information at www.s-p-s.com

About MORPHO: 
Morpho (Safran) is a global leader in security and identity solutions for an increasingly digital and connected world. We employ more than 8,600 people in 55 countries and generated revenues of more than €1.5 billion in 2014. Backed by more than 40 years' experience in biometrics, our unique expertise lies in providing cutting edge technologies for a wide range of markets and applications for citizens, governments and business. Morpho contributes to managing identities, protecting borders, detecting threats, ensuring law enforcement and providing trusted on-line transactions and services. Our solutions ensure safety, protect identities and safeguard privacy, for easier, everyday lives. The security business is playing a major role in Safran's future development.

About DOLPHIN INTEGRATION:
Dolphin Integration contributes to "enabling low-power Systems-on-Chip" for worldwide customers - up to the major actors of the semiconductor industry - with high-density Silicon IP components best at low-power consumption.

The "Foundation IP" of this offering involves innovative libraries of standard cells, register files and memory generators. The "Fabric IP" of voltage regulators, Power Island Construction Kits and their control network MAESTRO enable a flexible assembly with their loads. They especially star the "Feature IP": from high-resolution converters for audio and measurement applications to power-optimized 8 or 16 and 32 bit micro-controllers. Over 30 years of experience in the integration of silicon IP components, providing services for ASIC/SoC design and fabrication with its own EDA solutions, make Dolphin Integration a genuine one-stop shop addressing all customers' needs for specific requests.

About TIMA:
TIMA is a public joint research laboratory of the CNRS, Grenoble-INP and Université Grenoble Alpes. TIMA is a multinational team, with members and interns from all over the world. A large proportion of the research is performed in the context of cooperative projects with industrial and academic partners, supported by regional, national and European grants. The research topics of TIMA cover the specification, design, verification, test, CAD tools and design methods for integrated systems, from analog and digital components on one end of the spectrum, to multiprocessor Systems-on-Chip together with their basic operating system on the other end.

About IM2NP:
IM2NP is run under the joint authority of the CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) and two Universities : Université d'Aix-Marseille and Université de Toulon. It is also associated with two Schools of Engineering : Ecole Polytechnique Universitaire de Marseille (Polytech' Marseille) and Institut Supérieur d’Electronique et du Numérique (ISEN). With more than 320 scientists, engineers, technicians, PhD students in physics, chemistry and micro-electronics, the Institute gathers the required expertise for research and education in materials, microelectronics and nanosciences and supports a wide range of programs including modelling, design, architecture, processes, materials and their physico-chemical properties.

About SCS CLUSTER:
World-Class Cluster Secured Communicating (SCS): the future’s good hands

The SCS Cluster is based in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region in the South of France and has been founded in 2005. The ecosystem has an international leadership in the fields of contactless technologies, networks, M2M & mobile services, digital security and identities. It brings together more than 300 players among which industry world leaders, research organizations and startups and SMEs (220). Acting as an economic growth booster, the SCS Cluster does help small and medium companies on the road to growth through added value services. Awarded “Gold label” in 2013 in recognition of its management excellence, the SCS Cluster is the third French Cluster to obtain this recognition from the European Cluster Initiative Excellence (ECEI).

For more information, please visit www.pole-scs.org.

About MINALOGIC:
Minalogic is a global innovation cluster for digital technologies serving France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The cluster supports the region’s leading innovators by facilitating networking, fostering collaborative R&D, and providing companies with personalized assistance throughout all phases of business growth. The products and services developed by our members address all industries, from ICT and healthcare to energy and advanced manufacturing. Minalogic was founded in 2005 and today boasts more than 300 members, including 270 companies.

StarChip contact:
Mounira Bouba - FSE
+33 1 34 52 20 75
Email Contact

Morpho Contacts:
Pierre-Yves Roger – Press Manager
+ 33 1 58 11 89 58
Email Contact

SPS Contacts:
Olivier BRUNET, Marketing director
+33 4 42 53 84 44
Email Contact

Dolphin contacts:
Oriane Poulat - Marketing Manager
+33 4 76 41 10 96
Email Contact

IM2NP contact: 
Rachid BOUCHAKOUR – Director 
+33 491 288 313 
Email Contact

TIMA contact: 
Laurent Fesquet
 +33 476 574 812
Email Contact

SCS Cluster Contact: 
Audrey Rivollet-Erétéo
+33 6 31 40 57 65
Email Contact

Minalogic Contact:
Ingrid Mattioni
+33 4 38 78 03 01
Email Contact

Distributed on behalf of STARCHIP by NeonDrum news distribution service ( http://www.neondrum.com)