Innovation

234 active R&D partnerships

Creating the right environment

Ideas emerge when people interact. We create and maintain a working environment where employees are motivated and rewarded for contributing ideas that may be useful to the company. Rewards include a financial bonus for engineers who have a patent application accepted for filing and ST Annual Recognition (STAR) awards which recognize and celebrate the best accomplishments of ST people.

Intellectual property

Intellectual Property (IP) is a key aspect of innovation management at ST, as we frequently buy and license-out IPs. We have an active patent licensing program which provides third parties access to many of our patents and enables them to make wide use of ST technology. 
Since our inception, ST has amassed a portfolio of over 15,400 patents in more than 9,400 different patent families.

Sustainable Technology

Through innovative product design and advanced technologies, we are positively impacting people’s lives and providing users with an enhanced experience. Our innovations also contribute to a more sustainable world with lower energy consumption of the end application, a reduction of materials and waste and a higher recycling potential at end-of-life.

Technical staff

ST’s worldwide Technical Staff community plays an instrumental role in bringing experts together to collaborate and share knowledge. The community assembles over 500 technical experts and leaders who are actively involved in the most advanced R&D projects. Our Technical Staff members coordinate activities focused on incubating new, innovative projects, which are managed by cross-divisional teams in a flexible and agile structure. 

Partnerships

ST has a worldwide network of strategic alliances with key customers, technology development with other semiconductor manufacturers and development alliances with major equipment and CAD suppliers. These industrial partnerships are complemented by a wide range of research programs conducted with leading universities and research institutes around the world.

Ecosystem

Our commitment to innovation also extends beyond our business activity. Each year we organize and sponsor a number of initiatives to boost innovation in the ecosystem, such as design contests, innovation boosters for startups, partnerships with research labs and universities and events like our techno days and innovation nights with our partners.

Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals