TECH

Package of measures to support the semiconductor industry in Europe will be discussed next month

The pandemic has forced all Western countries to learn a lesson: without local production of semiconductor components, one could face shortages and unstable logistics. US officials have been discussing a bill for several months to allocate subsidies for the development of the local semiconductor industry, their European counterparts will be ready to follow suit from early February, when a preliminary version of the project is ready.

The corresponding statement at the opening of the World Economic Forum was made by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (Ursula von der Leyen). “The main suppliers are several manufacturers outside Europe. This is dependency and uncertainty, which we simply cannot afford,” the European official said. She added that by 2030, up to 20% of the world's semiconductor production should be concentrated in Europe.

Similar calls have been made before, but in a slightly different context – initially it was the most advanced lithograph available at the end of the forecast period. Local manufacturers and their industrial customers were even opposed to focusing on high-end lithography, as most of them need mature processes and much more modest budgets.

Shortly after Patrick Gelsinger took over as CEO, Intel began actively promoting the need for a leading third-party company in the European region. The choice of the country in which it will be located, Intel is expected to make in the coming months, if not weeks. Among the supposed favorites are Germany and Italy, where large automotive clusters are located. So far, Intel has served external customers with a production line in Ireland that makes 16nm chips.

At a recent reporting conference, TSMC management explained that the idea of ​​building a factory in Europe for the company is still only at the initial stage of consideration. On the one hand, the world's largest third-party chipmaker relies on subsidies from local authorities on these projects. On the other hand, it is not inclined to create joint ventures with the participation of government structures. The collaboration with Sony in building the TSMC facility in Japan is also unique in its own way. 

Image source: TSMC