The SPIN Program
The government has entrusted the CNRS and the CEA with the responsibility of leading the SPIN Research Program, operated by the ANR. With a budget of 38 million euros over eight years, the SPIN Research Program aims to address specific scientific challenges. The program collaborates closely with the national community of public research, benefiting from the support of university partners.
The context
The growth of the ‘digital world’ has an environmental cost that can no longer be ignored. Projections show that by 2030, it will account for 20 to 30% of global electricity consumption. We need to rethink our priorities to aim for real conceptual breakthroughs. One of them is to position frugality as a performance criterion
One solution that we propose: spintronics.
Fundamentally ‘richer’ than classical electronics, it has already ‘revolutionized’ certain fields such as data storage and sensors. Today, new perspectives are emerging, offering opportunities for the development of new devices that are both high-performing, energy-efficient, and reconfigurable.
Therefore, the SPIN Research Program aims to support this new cycle of innovations through emerging and promising themes. In the context of a return to mastery of technological dependence in France and the European Union, spintronics has the ability to generate intellectual property and to support the major societal industrial renewal
The missions
> Supporting innovative fundamental research in spintronics.
>Ensuring the sustainability of the French community’s leadership in Europe and internationally.
>Strengthening or creating synergies with other communities and with national industrial actors.
>Permanently embedding spintronics in the national strategy for electronics in fields such as information and communication, artificial intelligence, security, and health.
The actions
>Supporting 5 Targeted Projects selected for their potential to create scientific advancements in spintronics with a strong societal impact.
> Creating a national network of technological platforms for the development of innovative materials, advanced characterization, and multi-scale modeling. This network will provide France with a unique, integrated, and world-class spintronics research infrastructure.
>Supporting exploratory collaboration projects open to the entire spintronics community to push the boundaries of the field, attract, and stimulate young talents.
> Enhancing the training of students and engineers for the industry to prepare them for future jobs in emerging technologies based on spintronics.
> Sharing with the general public, the academic world, and the industrial sector the impact of the SPIN Research Program on the economy, the environment, and the future of the digital world.
The community
The SPIN Research Program boasts a dynamic scientific community. The major research domains supported by the program will foster tangible interactions among sub-communities that currently operate independently.
Currently, research infrastructures are fragmented across local communities and are not always accessible to external researchers. One of our objectives is to open up access to new synergies and collaborations to a wide audience, facilitating mutual assistance and improving accessibility. Researchers will be able to conduct new research aimed at developing new and innovative applications.
To disseminate new knowledge and attract new prospects, the SPIN Research Program plans to provide training to explain spintronics concepts. We also aim to engage with public institutions such as high schools to promote and raise awareness about this field.
The governance of the PEPR
To meet the challenges set by our Research Program, a multi-level governance structure has been established to ensure the neutrality, quality, and transparency of the work:
It is responsible for strategic steering and validation of the Program’s directions. This committee is composed of representatives from CNRS (CNRS Physics, CNRS Engineering), CEA (upstream and technological research divisions), as well as a representative from each of the three associated universities affiliated with UDICE and France Universités.
Composed of the two co-directors of the program, it is responsible for monitoring the execution of the program, coordination, and reporting to the Steering Committee (COPIL), the ANR, and the international evaluation committee.
Composed of the program co-directors, the coordinators of Targeted and Transversal Projects, and the managers of specific actions, it is responsible for program coordination and management.
Composed of scientists recognized in the field of spintronics, both in France and internationally, as well as representatives from other PEPR programs (e.g., in electronics) and socio-economic stakeholders.
This committee is consulted on scientific, technical, innovation, and international positioning matters.
The team of the SPIN Research Program
Vincent Cros
Co-director of the program (CNRS)
Lucian Prejbeanu
Co-director of the program (CEA)
Asli Denninger-Consigney
Project Manager (CEA)
Margaux Monvoisin
Communication Manager (CNRS)
Our institutional partners
