New center of diversity

MEMS @ MIT is a newly created center that is intended to bring together a diverse group of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Fig. 1 and to provide an industrial interface to organizations that seek to interact with the center.The MIT MEMS research program has been in existence for more than 20 years and has seen a steady growth in the number of researchers and faculty. Today, there are more than 20 faculty doing MEMS research at MIT, with approximately 120 students and staff who come from seven different academic departments. The annual contract research volume of this group is well in excess of $12 million. In creating this center, the faculty are recognizing the substantial value that arises from the coordination of activities, as well as the benefits of focused interactions with organizations that seek to commercialize the research.