Slovenia included in network of competence centres for chips, semiconductors
Ljubljana, 14 November - The European Commission has selected 27 chip competence centres in 24 member states, including Slovenia, which will provide essential resources for the development of semiconductor and chip solutions, in particular for SMEs and start-ups.
Each competence centre will reinforce national and regional advantages and specialise in specific key technology areas. A strategic focus of each centre will ensure long-term investment in local expertise and a long-term focus on innovation and growth, the Ministry for Digital Transformation said in a press release on Thursday.
The centres will provide support, training and access to large infrastructure facilities such as pilot lines and design platforms.
The lead partner of the Slovenian consortium is the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana. The consortium also includes the Ljubljana Faculty of Computer and Information Science, the Maribor Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the University of Nova Gorica, the Jožef Stefan Institute and the Centre of Excellence in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology - Nanocenter Ljubljana.
The call for grants for the project to set up a European network of competence centres for semiconductors was launched by the European Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) on 4 July and based on this the Ministry for Digital Transformation launched on 19 July a call for applications for the selection of a project by a Slovenian consortium.
The ministry explained at the time that the competence centres play an essential role in the Chips for Europe flagship initiative, as they will provide access to technical and professional expertise and help companies in the semiconductor sector.
According to the ministry, more than 1,000 billion chips were produced worldwide in 2020, and they can be found in virtually every electronic device. European Commission research shows that demand for computer chips will double by 2030.
The first phase of the competence centre project, co-funded by EU and national contributions, is valued at more than EUR 170 million. A second call will be launched in early 2025 to give the opportunity to all 27 member states plus Iceland and Norway, the Commission says on its website.