The European Union has officially launched the highly anticipated Chips JU pilot lines, a pivotal €3.7bn initiative aimed at strengthening Europe’s semiconductor innovation and production capabilities.

This landmark effort, part of the broader Chips for Europe Initiative, is set to transform the region into a global leader in semiconductor research and manufacturing.

A €3.7bn investment in semiconductor innovation

The Chips JU pilot lines represent a massive financial commitment from the European Union and its Participating States.

This funding will drive capacity building, innovation, and competitiveness in semiconductor technologies, which are vital to economic security and technological sovereignty.

The official launch was marked by a signature ceremony hosted by the European Commission, attended by high-profile stakeholders, including Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen.

Representatives of the five pilot lines also participated, underscoring their commitment to advancing Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem.

The five pioneering pilot lines

The Chips JU initiative comprises five cutting-edge pilot lines, each targeting a specific aspect of semiconductor innovation:

• FAMES: Focused on FD-SOI technology for non-volatile memories, RF, and 3D integration.
• APECS: Advancing heterogeneous system integration and packaging technologies.
• NanoIC: Developing ultra-advanced chips beyond the 2nm process, targeting 1nm to 7A technology.
• WBG: Pioneering Wide Band Gap materials for next-generation semiconductor applications.
• PIXEurope: Enhancing photonic integrated circuits to bolster Europe’s leadership in advanced photonics.

Bridging research and manufacturing

The Chips JU pilot lines aim to bridge the critical gap between research and large-scale production. By accelerating the development, testing, and scaling of semiconductor technologies, the initiative will ensure Europe remains competitive in the global semiconductor market.

Notably, the NanoIC pilot line, hosted by imec in Belgium, is spearheading advancements in ultra-miniaturised chip production, with support from partners like ASML, VTT in Finland, and Tyndall National Institute in Ireland.

Meanwhile, the APECS pilot line, coordinated by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, provides decentralised, customer-centric solutions for chiplet technology, while France’s CEA-Leti leads efforts to advance low-power FD-SOI processes down to 10nm through the FAMES pilot line.

Strengthening Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem

The Chips JU pilot lines align with the EU’s ambition to bolster innovation, sustainability, and economic growth in the semiconductor sector.

As these pilot lines progress, they will reinforce Europe’s technological sovereignty, ensuring a robust and competitive semiconductor ecosystem.

This initiative marks a historic step forward in Europe’s journey to become a global semiconductor leader, addressing the challenges of innovation, scalability, and sovereignty in an increasingly chip-dependent world.