Europe opens NanoIC semiconductor center to boost chip sovereignty

A new semiconductor research center opened on Monday in this Belgian university city. It is a significant step in Europe’s push to reduce dependence on foreign chip technology.

The facility, called NanoIC, is situated within the imec research campus and will focus on developing ultra-small chip designs needed for AI systems. European officials are calling the center their most concrete move yet to strengthen the continent’s position in the global semiconductor industry.

A different approach to chip development

The research hub will work on technologies smaller than 2 nanometers. That pushes into what scientists call the “Angstrom” range, where circuit components approach the size of individual atoms. The center operates under Europe’s Chips Act, which aims to help the region move scientific discoveries out of laboratories and into actual factories, a gap that’s long hampered European chipmakers.

Experts predict worldwide semiconductor sales will climb toward $1 trillion by 2030. The growth is driven largely by demand for chips that can handle AI tasks. Europe has strong companies that make the machines used to produce semiconductors, but the continent has struggled to manufacture chips in large quantities. This weakness hits everything from cars to next-generation wireless networks.

Source: Omdia, PwC Analysis

The Belgian center takes a different route from the United States, which has focused on funding enormous production plants. NanoIC will let both new companies and established manufacturers test their production methods on a smaller scale before spending billions on full-sized factories. Collaboration, not massive construction projects.

The centerpiece of the 2,000 square meter clean room is cutting-edge lithography equipment from Dutch company ASML. This machine, called High NA EUV, works like an extremely precise printer for silicon chips. It creates features at the atomic level.

Beginning in 2022, the European Chips Act set the lofty goal of doubling the EU’s share of worldwide chip production to 20% by the end of 2030. The plan’s transition from policy texts to actual operations is demonstrated by Monday’s opening. According to Imec, the last High NA EUV machines will be delivered in March, starting a five-year strategy to install over 100 new tools.

The €2.5 billion project combines public and private money. The European Union and Flemish regional authorities have contributed €1.4 billion. Private companies, including ASML contributed the remaining €1.1 billion.

The facility also connects research sites across multiple countries. Although based in Leuven, the operation links partners in France at CEA-Leti, Germany’s Fraunhofer institutes, and Ireland’s Tyndall center. To make participation easier, NanoIC has already released early design tools that allow engineers create virtual prototypes for advanced chips and memory before the physical equipment is ready.

Leaders emphasize technological sovereignty

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, who attended the ceremony, described it as a watershed moment. “Today shows that Europe’s ambitions in chip technology are becoming a reality,” Virkkunen said. “The NanoIC pilot line is a key milestone in strengthening our semiconductor sovereignty and ensuring our industrial base remains competitive in the AI era.”

The Flemish regional government’s leader, Matthias Diependaele, emphasized the value of quality over quantity. “We don’t have the luxury of being the biggest, but we do have the choice to be the best,” Diependaele stated. “Europe is opting for technological superiority and strategic autonomy with NanoIC. This is about making sure that Europe remains at the forefront of global innovation in the future.

Imec CEO Luc Van den hove said the center creates a unified research network for Europe. “Since announcing imec would host this line in 2024, we have moved at full speed to accelerate tool acquisition,” Van den Hove noted. “Today’s opening culminates that effort, providing the industrial fabric needed to ensure next-generation AI innovation, from autonomous vehicles to personalized medicine, remains firmly rooted in European soil.”

The facility aims to position Europe as a leader in developing chips for applications ranging from self-driving cars to medical devices. That means reducing reliance on Asian and American suppliers.

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