The European Union has launched its largest semiconductor pilot line under the European Chips Act, investing €700 million ($832 million) in the new NanoIC facility at IMEC in Leuven, Belgium, as part of efforts to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty.
The project forms part of a wider investment of about €2.5 billion, with additional funding coming from national and regional governments. The facility is designed to speed up the development of advanced chip technologies used in artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, healthcare and future 6G networks.
NanoIC is the first European site to deploy one of the most advanced extreme ultraviolet lithography systems and will focus on semiconductor technologies beyond the 2-nanometre node, marking a significant step for the bloc’s manufacturing capabilities.
The pilot line will operate on an open-access model, allowing start-ups, researchers, small and medium-sized enterprises and major companies to test new chip designs and production processes at near-industrial scale before mass manufacturing.
The project is hosted by Belgium-based research centre IMEC, founded in 1984, which describes itself as the world’s largest independent research and innovation hub for nanoelectronics and digital technology. Partners include CEA-Leti in France, Fraunhofer in Germany, VTT in Finland, CSSNT in Romania and the Tyndall National Institute in Ireland.
The initiative aims to close the gap between research and large-scale production while strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness and retaining skilled talent.
NanoIC is one of five pilot lines under the Chips for Europe programme, alongside FAMES, APECS, WBG and PIXEurope.
Together, the projects represent a combined European and national investment of about €3.7 billion to connect research capabilities with commercial manufacturing.
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russia...
Seven countries have condemned Israel’s decision to open construction tenders for more than 1,200 homes under its E1 settlement project in th...
The UK and Azerbaijan are working to finalise a strategic partnership framework covering political, economic and defence cooperation, the new Briti...
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th of August, covering the latest developments.
Five years after Evergrande's debt crisis rattled global markets, founder Hui Ka Yan has been sentenced to life in prison, marking a dramatic new chapter in the downfall of China's former property giant.
Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv has killed at least sixteen people and injured more than forty others, Ukrainian officials said, with fires reported across the city and Poland activating defensive air operations.
An artificial intelligence agent running an experimental store in San Francisco has recommended dismissing a human employee after the worker repeatedly arrived late for shifts.
Nvidia is teaming up with some of the biggest names in global finance in a move that underscores how artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming one of the world's most sought-after investment themes.
Parts of Europe and the Arctic will briefly fall into darkness on Wednesday, 12 August, as the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun in a total solar eclipse.
Meta said one of its AI models hacked another company's systems during cybersecurity testing, intensifying concerns about how developers can contain increasingly capable AI systems following similar incidents involving Anthropic and OpenAI.
Scientists say the accidental crash of a discarded SpaceX rocket stage into the moon has provided valuable data on impact cratering while posing no threat to Earth or lunar hardware.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment