The Institute for Applied Microelectronics (IUMA) is a university institute at the ULPGC currently made up of 35 researchers, 3 research fellows, 3 laboratory technicians and 6 collaborators. Among these, 20 are Senior Researchers (5 University Professors and 15 Associate Professors). A total of 23 IUMA PhD students are registered in the doctorate program jointly run by the Electronics Engineering Department and by the Computer Engineering and the Applied Mathematics departments. Since its establishment, many doctoral theses have been completed.

IUMA has published over one thousand papers in the last 20 years, a recent average is close to 50 papers with Impact Factor per year. It leads, among others, two European research projects, is a member of two so called European networks of excellence and has obtained numerous research projects and contracts with industrial firms. Among its most significant technical achievements are the tape out of 20 complex integrated circuits, including dedicated processors, signal processors, RFICs and MEMS, 12 industrial electronic systems and numerous embedded software products which are currently being used by firms specialized in telecommunications, telecontrol and computer systems. IUMA provides research and development services to other research groups and companies. None of this work would be possible without the high number of human resources generated by the Engineering degrees established in the Tafira Campus of the ULPGC (Technology Campus), which represents an important asset for the Canary Islands society (2.3 million people), an asset that the institute promotes and complements.

In this context, research in Microelectronics in the Canary Islands is highly recognized both nationally and internationally. Microelectronics devices and circuits are planned, calculated, designed, tested and assembled in the Canary Islands. The products manufactured range from complex processor chips and controllers to custom-made designs for RF applications required by Spanish companies, being of main interest the design of basic blocks and the modelling of integrated components.
This progress requires us to maintain and increase the teaching level of Engineering in our schools and to transform it into research levels. Over the years, the Institute has shown that it is truly committed to carrying out intense research work.
IUMA has coordinated several conferences in Microelectronics in the past, such us the SPIE Microtechnologies for the New Millennium, in 2007, EUROMICRO DSD, in 2009, and the 10th and the 25th DCIS, in 1995 and 2010, and is now proposing to organize the 41st WOCSDICE, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.