EU countries form Semicon Coalition to bolster semiconductor industry

The cooperation between Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland and Spain was ratified today in Brussels. The alliance centers on three key priorities. First, the countries agreed to develop a joint approach to increase production capacity. Second, they committed to making more public and private funding available for concrete applications and technologies. Finally, they emphasized training and developing talent for the semiconductor sector.

Dutch Minister Dirk Beljaarts, who oversees Economic Affairs, initiated this collaboration. He stresses that cooperation among European countries, industry players, and research institutions must become significantly more intensive. His counterparts from other participating nations share this perspective.

The Semicon Coalition is explicitly advocating for expanded production capacity within the EU. To finance these initiatives, the coalition will explore options with the European Commission. This alliance will operate alongside the broader initiative of all European countries collectively working to make Europe more attractive for semiconductor manufacturing through the Chips Act.

In addition to welcoming new players, the coalition aims to provide enhanced support for established companies. Current European global leaders would receive additional reinforcement through this partnership. In the Netherlands, ASML stands as a prominent industry name, while in Belgium, the research institute Imec provides vital support to the global semiconductor industry. Belgium’s role as a research hub was further solidified today with the announcement of a new OpenChip site in Belgium.