Imec receives 2.5 billion euros for new nanochip pilot line

Imec will receive €2.5 billion from the government and private sector for a new nanochip pilot line.

As part of the chips law, the Leuven research center Imec will receive a billion-euro injection of 2.5 billion euros from the Flemish government and the European Commission for a new pilot line, the company announced at the annual ITF world conference. With this new pilot line, Imec wants to enable companies to research the most advanced chip technology for their future applications and thus also appeals to smaller companies and start-ups.

Billion injection

A total of 2.5 billion euros will be pumped into the new pilot line of the Leuven research institute Imec. This investment comes within the framework of the Chips Act, a European legislation intended to support semiconductor production on our continent to overcome dependence on Asia and the USA. The Chips Act was passed last summer and aims to more than double Europe’s share of global chip production to twenty percent by 2030.

Imec receives 2.5 billion euros in investment money from the government and the private sector. For example, the Flemish government and the European Commission (from the European programs Horizon Europe and Digital Europe) are investing 1.4 billion euros in Imec. The Dutch chip machine manufacturer ASML is pumping in another 1.1 billion euros, bringing the final total to 2.5 billion euros.

nanotechnology

Imec wants to use this new production line to produce prototypes of new chips in small quantities. The research center focuses on sub-2 nanometer technology, which can be used to develop the most compact chips. Such chips can be used for artificial intelligence and other applications that require a lot of computing power.

The Leuven-based company Imec emphasizes that start-ups, SMEs and universities can also use the new line. The pilot line can form an important link between chip innovation and European industry.