The European Union wants to make a fifth of the globe’s cutting-edge semiconductors by the end of the decade. It also wants to make its first quantum computer within the next five years.
All of this is part of an effort by the bloc to reduce its dependence on non-European tech.
The EU plan is called 2030 Digital Compass and comes after the pandemic exposed the reliance the 27 countries in the EU have on Chinese and US technology. The plan cites the importance of semiconductors in modern smart devices.
Road to global recognition
Semiconductors are used in high-performance computers and AI (artificial intelligence), internet-connected devices, smartphones, and cars. Right now, a global shortage has shuttered many car manufacturing plants around the world.
According to an EU document obtained by Reuters, the EU says it wants a level of ambition that will get them to a position of global influence by 2030.
The aim is to make cutting-edge and sustainable semiconductors in Europe, including providing at least 20% of the world’s production value.
The European Commission’s Vice President Margrethe Vestager and EU industry chief, Thierry Breton, were slated to present the plan today
Coming soon
The EU plan recommends investments in quantum technologies, saying that they could be the game-changer in medical developments and speeding up genome sequencing.
The document says that it is the EU’s proposed level of ambition, that it should have its first quantum accelerated computer by 2025 and position the bloc as a global player by 2030.
The plan also called for 10,000 climate-neutral facilities by 2030 to help Europe build its own cloud infrastructure and double unicorns (companies with valuations above $1 billion) in the same time frame.
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