News on 9 November 2000

Sun Microsystems has inaugurated the third Sun Labs research centre and the first in Europe, at Grenoble, Switzerland.

Sun Labs Europe is both a research centre and a base for collaborative projects with computer and communications research communities throughout Europe and beyond. Located near Sun's International Center for Networked Computing (ICNC), Sun Labs Europe will primarily focus on next-generation computing and communications technologies that enable the Internet Protocol to become a universal platform for 'anytime, anywhere' data, voice, and multimedia services. The centre complements sister facilities in California and Massachusetts.

Dr. Jeff Rulifson, director of Sun Labs Europe, commented: "Grenoble has all the ingredients we need - outstanding universities, world-class complementary industrial research labs, and an extremely attractive quality of life that appeals to the principal investigators we are seeking. Moreover, Grenoble is in a beautiful, central location from which we can build cooperative relationships with universities throughout Europe."

Franois Regis Berriot, vice president of the Isere Conseil General, welcomed Sun to the region: "The expansion of Sun Microsystems Laboratories and the International Center for Network Computing is of strategic importance for the Meylan-Montbonnot area. Sun, a world leader in the computer industry, made a choice that acknowledges three facets of Grenoble: the dynamism of its 'digital valley,' the quality of its research infrastructure, and the high level of training of its population. With 23,000 jobs in the microelectronic, computer and communication technology fields, Grenoble is a truly exceptional site in France and Europe and Sun could not make a better choice than Isere, a department that lives by the rhythm of innovation. The Conseil General de
l'Isere commits itself and its resources to support for the region's innovative companies."