The European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, met on Thursday 20 May with the CEO of the Dutch company ASML and the CEO of the international research and development organisation IMEC, two major European players in the semiconductor sector, to discuss the project of creating a new European alliance.
This meeting follows the update of the industrial strategy, where several new Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) are outlined, including one on semiconductors (see EUROPE 12713/6). The ambition is to reconstitute a European value chain in the field to produce microelectronic chips (particularly below five nanometres), which are needed in key sectors of activity, such as the automotive, artificial intelligence and European defence sectors. The ambition is to increase European semiconductor production to at least 20% of world production (currently, European production has fallen to 10%).
The day before, Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič visited Spain in the framework of the European Battery Alliance (see EUROPE 12670/20) to participate in the signing ceremony of the first Memorandum of Understanding to establish a public-private partnership for learning and skills services. The aim is to meet the needs of the European battery sector. The aim is to train 150,000 workers by 2025, he said in his speech.
The battery sector remains an open front at European level. Currently on the legislative table, a draft Regulation to produce sustainable European batteries is being negotiated in both the European Parliament and the EU Council (see EUROPE 12681/5). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)