The focus of AINE is not only to compete for federal funding, but also on strategic partnering with the semiconductor industry, which has a strong base in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and on collaboration with emerging companies in the nanotechnology field, the biotechnology field, as well as in intellectual property development and spin-offs from ASU-derived research. The research themes provide an intellectual and creative interchange across disciplines and the environment for training a new generation of scientists. The centers will establish a direct connection to the BioDesign Institute at ASU whereby the unique properties of nanoelectronic materials and devices will have direct impact upon the medical and bioengineering programs. The merging of electronics and biology will foster new ideas and capabilities for the biotechnology-focused research at ASU, and will provide a direct bridge between the semiconductor industry and the BioDesign Institute at ASU.