The European Commission launched a new European Semiconductor Alliance on Monday 19 July to ensure that the EU is able to manufacture up to 20% of the world’s output by 2030.
The Alliance is a response to the severe shortage of semiconductors that has hit the global economy since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and is a follow-up to the recent update of the EU Industrial Strategy (see EUROPE 12713/6), as well as that on critical raw materials (see EUROPE 12552/1).
It has a quantitative and qualitative objective. The Alliance aims, on the one hand, to identify and tackle the bottlenecks to which European industry is exposed. Above all, it will seek to define “technology roadmaps” for the Union, in order to reduce its dependence on third countries to gain international market share. The Commission’s stated aim is for the EU to account for no less than 20% of world production by 2030.
The Alliance also aims to make a technological leap forward for the EU. Achieving an accuracy of 2 nanometres (nm) would meet the future needs of European industry, particularly in mobile telephony and data centres. According to a study by the European Commission, only South Korea and Taiwan have mastered the peak precision of 5 nm; the United States has only one production facility reaching 7 nm. At present, the EU has mastered technology down to 22 nm.
The call for expressions of interest is open until 15 September. Any organisation with existing or planned activities in the field of processor and semiconductor technologies, including end-user companies and research centres, can join the Alliance, says the EU institution.
The European Commission will set up several working groups from September to November. A first general meeting will be held in the fourth quarter of 2021.
By the end of 2020, 13 Member States had committed themselves to supporting the development of processors and semiconductors in Europe. As a reminder, this initiative has the ambition to launch an important project of common European interest (IPCEI) (see EUROPE 12617/10).
To consult the declaration signed by these Member States: https://bit.ly/3kC4Qo2 (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)