Global R&D hub Imec Flanders today announced at its annual Imec Technology Forum in Antwerp (ITF World 2024) that it has raised a €2.5 billion investment to establish a new R&D pilot line for advanced chip technology and systems-on-chip. 

The EU Chips Act focuses on four strategic pilot lines, spread across several European member states to bridge the gap between technological research and product, promote collaboration, and support economic growth and strategic autonomy in Europe. 

European OEMs and healthcare manufacturers will be able to test emerging innovations, such as chiplets. Imec will host the sub-2-nanometer pilot line and contribute to the pilot lines for low-power FD-SOI (fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator chip technology, hosted by CEA-Leti, France) and heterogeneous system integration (hosted by Fraunhofer, Germany).

By collaborating with European and global device companies suppliers, imec will roll out a unique pilot line where companies can explore the possibilities of the most advanced chip technology for their future applications.

For example, startups and universities as well as larger enterprises will be able to access tools and software for prototyping new products and chip solutions.

The expected investment will be raised through a combination of public and private contributions. 

Contributions from the Flemish government and from various EU financing programs (i.e. Horizon Europe and Digital Europe) through the Chips Joint Undertaking will amount to €1.4 billion in public funding. Private contributions from various industrial partners (including ASML) are expected to amount to €1.1 billion.

 This cornerstone investment is expected to attract further investment from European and global industry to implement pilot projects.

According to Luc Van den hove, CEO of imec:

“Thanks to the support of the EU, the Flemish government and industry partners such as ASML, we can not only continue to play a pioneering role in the development of the most advanced chips, but also respond better to market demand.” 

“The fact that imec is given a central role in the EU Chips Act to strengthen the European industry confirms that we are on the right path. With Flanders Technology and Innovation, I am building on that vision to safeguard our Flemish prosperity in the future. We make Flanders a model nation that uses technology for our benefit.”

Lead image: Pok Rie.