ST is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies, with net revenues of US$9.85 billion in 2006 and market leadership that is spread across many fields. For example, according to the latest industry data, ST is the world's fifth largest semiconductor company and has leading positions in sales of Analog Products, Analog Application Specific Integrated Circuits and Analog Application Specific Standard Products.

The group totals approximately 50,000 employees, 16 advanced research and development units, 39 design and application centers, 17 main manufacturing sites and 78 sales offices in 36 countries.

ST offers one of the world's broadest product ranges, with over 3,000 main types of products. The carefully balanced portfolio includes both application-specific products containing a large proprietary IP content and multi-segment products that range from discrete devices to high-performance microcontrollers. The balanced portfolio approach allows ST to address the needs of all microelectronics users, from global strategic customers for whom ST is the partner of choice for major System-on-Chip (SoC) projects to local enterprises that need fully-supported general-purpose devices.

Since its creation, ST has exhibited an unwavering commitment to R&D. In 2006, ST spent US$1.667 billion in R&D, which was some 16.9% of its 2006 revenues. That effort produced 607 patent applications in 2006, maintaining ST's track record as one of the industry's most innovative and prolific inventors. ST is also active in numerous collaborative research projects worldwide as well as playing a key role in Europe's advanced technology research programs such as MEDEA+ and the framework programs of the European Union. It is also a leader in important forward-looking industry initiatives such as ENIAC (European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council) at the European level or the "Poles de Compétitivité" (e.g. Minalogic near Grenoble and SCS in the Provence area) at the regional level.

ST has developed a worldwide network of strategic alliances, including product development with key customers, technology development with customers and other semiconductor manufacturers, and equipment- and CAD-development alliances with major suppliers. These industrial partnerships are complemented by a wide range of research programs conducted with leading universities and research institutes around the world. By augmenting its rich portfolio of proprietary technologies and core competencies with complementary expertise from a variety of carefully chosen strategic partners, ST has developed an unsurpassed capability to offer leading-edge solutions to customers in all segments of the electronics industry.