1 - Introduction

Microsystems is a dynamic, fast evolving, high tech area holding considerable business potential. This challenging subject covers a wide, very diverse and broadening field of industrial applications and includes a growing set of technologies.
The wide range of applications include some major volume products in the medical, industrial, communication, automotive, and chemical markets. The diversity of these applications require access to multidisciplinary knowledge and a broad set of technologies often not available in one company. The multidisciplinary nature and the mix of different scientific disciplines open also opportunities for new products or improvements on existing ones. However, the complexity and interdisciplinary relations between the different actors, between the various scientific fields and the different applied engineering competencies also present a challenge to bring these products to the market fast, at sufficiently low cost and in an industrially proven manner.
The offers of the technology are steadily growing including some main stream technologies complemented by a growing set of new innovative ones to cover the diversity of the different application needs. The field is driven by silicon compatible batch processes, however the importance of non-silicon technology and the use of new functional materials and improved material properties is being recognised as another major driving factor in the field. The offer of technologies is not only widening by the different scientific disciplines, processes and materials included but also by an increased level of miniaturisation using deep integration technologies such as small dimensional microelectronics - microsystems combined technologies, micro-technologies, nano-technologies and "micro-nano-technologies". These exciting technological advances drive an emerging `small technologies industry' introducing micro and nano dimensions inside macro applications.