Silicon Saxony and Silicon Europe: Comments on the European Commission’s “Chips for Europe” strategy
The ambitions of the European Commission are great. By 2030, Europe’s semiconductor production is to account for 20 percent of global production. This target corresponds to a fourfold increase in today’s volume. This also means that Europe must expand its position in research and technology in order to set its own course in the global innovation competition. In this way, the competitiveness of the European semiconductor industry is to be expanded, competitive advantages for European user industries are to be made possible and the technological sovereignty of the Union is to be strengthened in the long term. Silicon Saxony welcomes this vision as well as the formulated strategic goals.
The ambitions of the European Commission are great. By 2030, Europe’s semiconductor production is to account for 20 percent of global production. This target corresponds to a fourfold increase in today’s volume. This also means that Europe must expand its position in research and technology in order to set its own course in the global innovation competition. In this way, the competitiveness of the European semiconductor industry is to be expanded, competitive advantages for European user industries are to be made possible and the technological sovereignty of the Union is to be strengthened in the long term. Silicon Saxony welcomes this vision as well as the formulated strategic goals.
Statement of the industry association Silicon Saxony: "After the announcements, it now becomes concrete. While the semiconductor industry is still waiting for a legally binding commitment on the IPCEI program, the European Commission is now showing the speed that is urgently needed in order not to fall even further behind in the global competition for investments in new production capacity. It is absolutely essential that the framework conditions are created in Europe that have long been in place in other regions of the world. European semiconductor companies are still reluctant to invest outside the EU.
If there are now no binding decisions by the European nation states, it will be more difficult to explain this hesitancy to investors in a plausible way. For example, the new German government must present a budget by March that lives up to its stated ambitions. Industry is on the starting blocks, for IPCEI as well as for other investments. It remains the case that speed is the key to success. The Chip Act is a very good basis for maintaining the economic commitment of the chip industry in Europe and in Silicon Saxony and for enabling new investments, such as those promised by Intel or TSMC for Europe. This opportunity must be seized now," says Dirk Röhrborn, CEO Silicon Saxony e. V.
Statement of the Silicon Europe Alliance: The European Commission today unveiled the EU Chips Act, a package of proposals, initiatives and regulations for the semiconductor industry in member states. As Commission President von der Leyen emphasized in announcing a European "chip" strategy, "there is no digitalization without chips. … We need to radically up Europe’s game in the development, production and use of this key technology."
The Silicon Europe Alliance strongly supports this initiative. It is crucial that Europe supports its semiconductor industry and strengthens its resilience. The entire value chain, from chip design to manufacturing to end users, needs to be supported in Europe. As an alliance representing clusters focused on Europe’s active small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Silicon Europe hopes to see further development of mechanisms, policies and (revised) regulations specifically helpful to these companies. It is imperative to connect these dynamic and agile companies – an essential part of the European economy – to the grassroots semiconductor value chain.
Similarly, we believe it is essential for any European chip operation to create lasting and healthy relationships between manufacturers and end users. Maintaining close relationships between chip manufacturers and users is the only way to ensure a more efficient semiconductor industry in Europe.
