Silicon Saxony: New EU initiative INFRACHIP to accelerate the development of new semiconductor chips

The participants at the kick-off

© INFRACHIP

The European Union has adopted a comprehensive package of measures to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem in the EU with the European Chip Act, which came into force on September 21, 2023. The proposed measures include investment in next-generation technologies, better access across Europe to design tools and pilot lines for prototyping, testing and experimenting with cutting-edge chips, and the promotion of skills, talent and innovation in microelectronics.

These actions are crucial for Europe to strengthen the EU’s research and innovation capacity as a globally competitive player in the field of semiconductor technologies. In this context, a consortium of fourteen partners led by the Tyndall National Institute has launched the INFRACHIP project.

Project details

What: INFRACHIP aims to create the first integrated, distributed research infrastructure as a broader European research platform for the sustainable development of next-generation and future semiconductor chips. The project will provide access to knowledge and technology blocks by leading experts. It will address the need for capital investment in state-of-the-art equipment to cope with the EU's twin digital and green transitions and ensure Europe's early to mid-stage technological innovation capability.

When: The project will run for a period of four years and will provide guidance and access to users by mobilising a critical mass of people.

How: INFRACHIP builds on existing RI communities, namely ASCENT+ for nanoelectronics, EMERGE for sustainable flexible electronics and EnABLES for powering the Internet of Things (IoT). It aims to advance the state of the art by supporting comprehensive user projects for multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary ground-breaking research on sustainable information and communication technologies (ICT) driven by the secure edge.

These challenge-focused projects aim to introduce new materials, proofs of concept and feasibility studies for new manufacturing processes or breakthrough technologies.