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The ‘Semicon Coalition’ will collaborate on research and development, as well as bolstering Europe’s chip production capabilities
This week, nine European countries have founded the ‘Semicon Coalition’, pledging to cooperate to better support the continent’s semiconductor industry.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Beljaarts, was formally initiated today in Brussels, Belgium, with ministers of Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, and Spain all in attendance.
In a joint statement, the countries confirmed that the main priorities of the coalition are to ensure that:
- Essential parts of the semiconductor industry are available and accessible to EU countries.
- New and reliable technologies are developed and made in the EU.
- Europe strengthens its current leading positions and expands into new areas.
- Commercialisation of research is sped up.
In the coming months, the countries will work with the European Commission on a Declaration which will be open for all EU countries to support, showing their commitment to improving Europe’s position in the global semiconductor industry.
The deal has partly been created in response to the surge of global investment in the semiconductor industry in recent years, as countries strive to become more self-sufficient in this key sector. The EU, for example, has allocated €43 billion in funding to support the development of the semiconductor industry within Europe as part of the EU Chips Act; the US has seen new foundries set up from the likes of Intel and TSMC as a result of their CHIPS & Science Act; while China has the so-called ‘Big Fund’, the most recent tranche of which saw $47 billion dedicated to developing the country’s domestic chip industry.
“The economic ministers of the countries involved all agree that European countries, industry and knowledge institutes need to work together more intensively. Not a little more, but much more,” said Beljaarts in a statement. “We have agreed to draw up a joint approach for the first time to increase production capacity, to have more public and private financing for the latest semiconductor technologies and applications and to invest in sufficiently trained people who can work in this sector.”
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