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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Millions of people across 13 countries are expected to face worsening food insecurity between June and November 2026, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Ukraine is seeking an additional $20 billion in military funding from its allies, Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Wednesday, as Kyiv looks to strengthen its battlefield position and increase pressure on Russia ahead of potential negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had a "very good" conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G7 summit in France, adding that Washington and New Delhi were working on trade agreements despite recent strains in bilateral ties.
Polish police have launched an investigation after videos circulating online showed men in military-style uniforms patrolling Warsaw Central railway station and questioning people they believed to be foreigners.
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. President criticised Israel for its tactics against Hezbollah, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to tackle militants.
A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island early Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring four, according to emergency authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.
Australia's weather bureau warned on Tuesday that an El Niño weather pattern has formed in the tropical Pacific and could intensify in the second half of 2026, becoming one of the strongest events recorded in seven decades.
Pakistan's heavy reliance on imported energy was laid bare by the U.S.-Iran conflict, which disrupted regional supplies, drove up costs and exposed vulnerabilities in the country's energy security. However, a proposed peace agreement now offers hope for economic relief.
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as tech firms race to redefine personal devices in the AI era.
The Canadian government has introduced a digital safety bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, unless platforms meet specific safety standards.
NASA has named three American astronauts and one Italian astronaut to fly on its Artemis III mission, a major orbital test planned for late next year that will evaluate lunar landing vehicles developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
China will send an astronaut to its space station on Sunday for a one-year mission, the longest duration for the country so far. The mission will help study long-duration human physiology in space as China works toward a crewed Moon landing by 2030.
Anxiety over artificial intelligence is hardening among young workers as executives promote faster adoption and companies point to automation in fresh job cuts.
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