EU Steps Up 'Semiconductor Sovereignty' Plans

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The European Commission plans to introduce a “European Chips Act” to provide a European vision and strategy to boost cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing capacity in the region.

The announcement was made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her State of the Union speech in Strasbourg on September 15. It comes as EU Member States are designing national strategies to develop industrial and production facilities to reduce foreign dependencies.

In a related blog, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said the European Chips Act should cover three elements:

• A European Semiconductor Research Strategy to push Europe’s research ambitions to the next level
• A collective plan to enhance European production capacity
• A framework for international cooperation and partnership

Breton said the legislation should aim to support monitoring and resilience of the entire supply chain including design, production, packaging, equipment, and suppliers. The goal is to support the development of European “mega fabs” able to produce in high volume the most advanced and energy-efficient semiconductors, he said.

As these plans move forward, IPC will continue to underline the importance of investing in the broader electronics manufacturing ecosystem, not just semiconductors. IPC will also continue to work with European policymakers to discuss needed investments across the electronics manufacturing ecosystem so that Europe can truly achieve greater “tech sovereignty.”