Europe to invest €525 million in chip startups to catch up with US and China

• The European Union will invest €525 million in chip startups to help Europe catch up with the US and China in semiconductors.
• The plan includes €440 million in grants for commercial chip development and €85 million for a European Chips Design Platform.
• Henna Virkkunen said Europe must improve chip design to build a stronger semiconductor industry and support more manufacturing across the value chain.

BRUSSELS - The European Union will invest €525 million (S$754 million) in chip startups to help them scale up faster, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said on Nov 4, part of a push to help Europe catch up with the United States and China.

The European Commission and EU countries will provide €440 million in grants to startups to help them meet the cost of developing chips for commercial use, while another €85 million will help fund a European Chips Design Platform.

“We know that Europe can’t strengthen our position in the global semiconductor industry if we don’t succeed in chip design,” Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said at the platform’s launch.

“Fostering a vibrant design ecosystem in turn will create demand for manufacturing facilities and also strengthen the entire value chain in Europe,” she said.

According to the Commission, European chip design companies account for less than 1% of global revenue in this segment.

The platform will give startups access to chip design tools, design support services, intellectual property blocks and access to manufacturing capacity.

The chip industry is booming due to strong demand linked to AI. REUTERS