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.
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