IMEC: How Did Belgium End Up as a Semiconductor Research Powerhouse?

Belgium is known for many products: chocolate, beer, waffles, and many others.  Folks in the semiconductor industry also recognize that it is a leader in semiconductor research.  But why is that?  How did such a small country position itself to have an outsized role in this industry?  To answer these questions, Nathaniel Lucek and Elizabeth Morris were joined by John Baekelmans, a former VP at IMEC and currently Science and Technology Counselor at Flanders Investment and Trade.  John shared the history of IMEC, including the bold decision by the government to build IMEC. We also explored how IMEC fits into the local research ecosystem and some of its current research focuses.