The European Union has launched the largest pilot line under the European Chips Act, the NanoIC project at IMEC Leuven (Belgium), marking an important step for the development and production of semiconductors in Europe, according to a press release from the European Commission.

With a total investment of €2.5 billion, the project has received €700 million in EU funding, complemented by another €700 million from national and regional governments, with the remainder coming from ASML and other industry partners. NanoIC will accelerate the development of next-generation semiconductor technology, which is essential for artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, healthcare, and 6G mobile technology.

NanoIC is the first European facility to deploy the most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine, focusing on the design and fabrication of chips using technologies below two nanometers. This marks significant progress in Europe’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.

Hosted by IMEC (Belgium), the project’s partners include CEA-Leti (France), Fraunhofer (Germany), VTT (Finland), CSSNT (Romania), and the Tyndall National Institute (Ireland).

Designed to bring chip technologies from the laboratory to the factory, the pilot lines represent a key pillar of the “Chips for Europe” initiative under the Chips Act. They will strengthen the position of European players in the global semiconductor supply chain and will be open to trusted partners, supporting Europe’s industrial base and competitiveness while also helping retain and attract talent.

Together, the five pilot lines under the Chips Act (NanoIC, FAMES, APECS, WBG, and PIXEurope) represent a combined EU and national investment of €3.7 billion, linking Europe’s research excellence with industrial applications.

Source: Agerpres