Member States join forces for a European initiative on processors and semiconductor technologies

The Commission is welcoming a joint declaration by many EU Member States on processors and semiconductor technologies, discussed at the videoconference of the Ministers of Telecommunications this morning (the list of signatories will be updated today here). Through their declaration, the Member States will commit to work together to bolster Europe’s electronics and embedded systems value chain and strengthen leading-edge manufacturing capacity, in view of reinforcing Europe’s capabilities in semiconductor technologies and offering the best performance for applications in a wide range of sectors. In today’s world, processors and semiconductors are used widely: from cars, medical equipment, mobile phones and networks to environmental monitoring, this technology powers the smart devices and services we use. It is therefore crucial as it enables key industries to innovate and compete globally so that Europe is in capacity to design and produce the most powerful processors. Today’s joint initiative aims to enhance cooperation among Member States and increase investment along the semiconductor value chain on equipment and materials, design, and advanced manufacturing and packaging, where feasible through the Recovery and Resilience Funds. Semiconductors are a core component of the ‘scale-up flagship’, one of the seven areas where coordinated plans from Member States are encouraged under the NextGenerationEU. Furthermore, Member States can mobilise industrial stakeholders to design an ambitious European Flagship project in the form of a second Important Project of Common European Interest. Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, said: “Europe has all it takes to diversify and reduce critical dependencies, while remaining open. We will therefore need to set ambitious plans, from design of chips to advanced manufacturing progressing towards 2nm nodes, with the aim of differentiating and leading on our most important value chains. Today’s highly welcomed joint effort is an important leap forward – it will pave the way to the launch of an industrial alliance. A collective approach can help us leverage our existing strengths and embrace new opportunities as advanced processor chips play an ever more important role for Europe’s industrial strategy and digital sovereignty.” The declaration is being signed in the margins of the videoconference of the Ministers of Telecommunications, where also the Data Governance Act, e-Privacy, the Digital Europe Programme and cybersecurity were on the agenda. The full declaration is available here.