Regional reaction
Semiconductor industry applauds EU
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The EU has released the final report of the expert group on Key Enabling Technologies (pg 11) and semiconductor leaders urge swift reaction to the plan’s development.
a strategic planning process with government representatives from key EU Member States and several Directorates General of the European Commission to define a competitive framework to facilitate the success of these crucial key enabling technologies in the EU. The group was chaired by Jean Therme, CEO of the French research organisation CEA. Central to these discussions were the role
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KETs can play in tackling Europe’s societal challenges such as energy efficiency or ageing population, as well as the global competitive positioning of KETs in Europe. This process led to a final report which delivers recommendations for the advancement of KETs in Europe. The recommendations span the entire value chain from the generation of ideas to their commercialisation, and cover the areas of technological research, product development and globally competitive manufacturing. The reaction of Carlo Bozotti, President of ESIA and CEO of STMicroelectronics to the final KETs report was: “With this report we are seeing the emergence of a comprehensive and practical blueprint of a European industrial innovation and manufacturing policy for key enabling technologies. This has the potential of boosting innovation in Europe and ensuring that key enabling technologies like microelectronics can fulfil their enabling role in and for Europe for the benefit of strategic industries.” In the area of product development, the
report shows Europe devotes more resources to fundamental research than other competitor regions but is not competitive when it comes to supporting more product based research. Says CEO of Infineon Technologies Peter Bauer: “The ability to be more competitive regarding the installation of pilot lines in Europe would be one direct consequence if the recommendations are implemented.”
ver the past year a select group of European industrialists engaged in
There are recommendations to enhance competitive manufacturing, including the introduction of a matching clause to attract investment in production in and into Europe, or adapting EU state aid to industries competing in globalized economies. The recommendations are supported by Intel VP and Intel Ireland’s General Manager Eamonn Sinnott and the CEO of Soitec André-Jacques Auberton-Hervé. Says Sinnott: “We support the report’s
recommendations to create a global level playing field for advanced manufacturing in Europe, with particular emphasis on the crucial contributions of the semiconductor industry.” Auberton-Hervé states: “One of Europe’s
strengths is the successful cooperation between suppliers and chip makers. The report recognizes the strategic importance of the value chain from raw materials to final products.”
Recommendations to enhance technological
research call for integrated R&D programmes ‘from the lab to the pilot line’ for KETs and a focus on inclusion of the value chain in R&D. “Integrated programmes to guide technological research via technology validation to pilot lines and demonstrators in the field of KETs are needed. They would be an innovation in their own right “, says Professor Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. The discussions and reactions reflect the
enthusiastic response coming out of the report from the semiconductor industrial leaders who were all members of the high level group. At the same time there was also the realization that the High Level Expert Group’s Final Report is a vital milestone but not the end result. They and ESIA remain committed to continue to support this strategic initiative and therefore now urge EU decision-makers to ensure its speedy implementation.
© 2011 Angel Business Communications. Permission required.
www.euroasiasemiconductor.com Issue III 2011
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