European company executives and analysts got together to discuss old continent’s strengths and weaknesses, aiming to make the most of the subsidies that the EU Chips Act will provide to the European semiconductor ecosystem
Necessary but not sufficient: this is how the EU Chips Act – the subsidy plan recently passed by the European Union to support Europe’s semiconductor industry – is perceived by many of the company executives and analysts convened in Vienna on February 15th and 16th for the 2023 edition of the annual SEMI European Industry Strategy Symposium. Organized by SEMI Europe – regional office of the global industry association representing the electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, the event attracted over two hundred attendees and offered valuable insights on a number of themes that are expected to impact not just the old continent, but also its geopolitical and technological partners in America and Asia. The two-day symposium saw the participation of over thirty speakers and offered three panel discussions.
Credit: SEMI Europe
In this article we will briefly summarize some of the symposium content – starting with the welcome remarks from Laith Altimime, President of SEMI Europe. Altimine outlined SEMI Europe’s agenda to make the European Chips Act a success: focus across the whole manufacturing ecosystem (materials, chemicals, gases, design, equipment, manufacturing and RTOs) to support supply chain resilience and industry growth; pursue stakeholders’ collaboration to achieve industry sustainability goals, considering that the industry has the urgent need of introducing smart and green manufacturing solutions and pave the way to net zero; support Europe’s talent pipeline transformation with concrete funds and investments, to close the talent gap and cultivate the workforce of tomorrow; foster industry participation – through the European Semiconductor Board – to ensure expertise-based decision making and inclusive governance; leverage the European “chip diplomacy”, going forward as one on export control, investments, supply chain as well as innovation and R&D.
