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Silicon Europe Policy Workshop on micro- and nanoelectronics and its role as key enabling technology
Micro- and nanoelectronics (MNE) are essential for sustainable growth. As a Key Enabling Technology, micro- and nanoelectronics, including the use and production of semiconductors, are crucial for all goods and services which need intelligent control and communication.
On November 5, 2014, the partners of the European Project Silicon Europe discussed at the Saxon Liaison Office Brussels the challenges and opportunities with regards to reindustrialization of Europe that arise from micro- and nanoelectronics and its role as key enabling technology.
Representatives of the European Parliament as well as representatives of industry, research institutes and regional authorities gave an insight into their respective views.
The Semi industry in Europe is of strategic importance – chips are everywhere. MNE is essential for European leadership in future and emerging markets worldwide and is the enabler for all key areas such as mobility, health, energy efficiency, security and convenience. MNE is the enabler for “Smart Anything”.
Even though Europe is acting already, e.g. ECSEL program, the investments need to be accelerated and intensified to retain and increase the global competitiveness of MNE to compete with countries like China and US which have a huge programme of investment in MNE. In this respect it was appealed mainly to economic players to have the courage to invest in MNE. The European industry needs visionaries to establish new big global players made in Europe.
With regards to the European strategy for Key Enabling Technologies it is essential to pursue consequently the approach already taken by the European Commission.
Besides investments in new development projects and pilot lines it is also important to make targeted investments in new talents as they are the workers of the future in modern fabs. In this context research institutes play an important role.
The Silicon Europe partners thanks the high-profile participants of the event particularly MEP Matthijs van Miltenburg.
Many thanks also to the representatives of the Saxon Liaison Office Brussels and SEMI Europe which supported the event.