The European Commission has granted approval for ChipNL. This is a consortium that wants to set up the Dutch semiconductor knowledge center in the Brainport Eindhoven and Twente regions.
European semiconductor knowledge centers – so-called Chips Competence Centres – are crucial to further grow technology, competition and innovation from this sector. ChipNL is receiving €12 million to set up a competence center. €8 million is from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. €4 million from the EU. The ChipNL consortium involves Brainport Development, ChipTech Twente, High Tech NL, imec Netherlands, Oost NL, TNO and Eindhoven University of Technology.
European network
The knowledge centers offer technical expertise in semiconductors, quantum and photonics. In particular, this gives startups, scale-ups in SMEs and their suppliers faster and easier access to new markets. They also gain access to growth financing and investors. But also to workforce skills and manufacturing knowledge that would otherwise take them years to build internally. ChipNL is also part of a European network of 27 centers of excellence to strategically strengthen this crucial technology.
“With innovative companies and suppliers, the Netherlands is a relevant global player in semiconductor research, development and production.” Economic Affairs Minister Beljaarts said. “European cooperation including public funding is necessary to keep this sector globally competitive and ensure the preservation of our prosperity and security here. These knowledge centers can start to ensure that expertise is available to a larger number of smaller companies. Importantly, not only is the sector growing, but this value chain is becoming more diverse and broader.”
European cooperation in the Chips Joint Undertaking
The Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) is the European public-private partnership that supports research, development and innovation in the field of semiconductor technologies and applications. It consists of companies, knowledge institutions and governments from different countries (EU and non-EU) and the European Commission. The Chips JU funds projects such as the Chips Competence Centers that contribute to strengthening European competitiveness. For this EU cooperation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) made the national nomination.
Also read: Samsung puts ASML on hold