The Netherlands launches ChipNL Competence Centre
The centre has been established in alignment with the EU Chips Act, aiming to advance technological capabilities and foster innovation in the Dutch semiconductor ecosystem, including in integrated photonics
The European Commission and the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) have jointly allocated a budget of €12 million for the next four years to the ChipNL Competence Centre, a new project aiming to strengthen the Dutch semiconductor industry by stimulating innovation, collaboration and talent development, as well as enhancing the global competitiveness of the Netherlands and Europe in semiconductor technologies.
The ChipNL Competence Centre is part of the European Chips Act. Within this, the European Competence Centres function as national hubs for research, development and cooperation between industry, government and knowledge institutions. They should contribute to accelerating innovation and technological solutions, stimulating talent development and strengthening the European value chain in semiconductors.
The ChipNL Competence Centre is a collaboration between Brainport Development, ChipTech Twente, High Tech NL, TNO, JePPIX, imec and the regional development companies OostNL, BOM and InnovationQuarter. The centre focuses on supporting and connecting parts of the value chains with Dutch SMEs, start- and scale-ups in the semiconductor sector and related application markets with a focus on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, chip design, (integrated) photonics, quantum and heterogeneous integration.
JePPIX (Joint European Platform for Photonic Integration Components and Circuits), an association of commercial enterprises, research organisations and universities serving as a platform for promoting integrated photonics on a European level, is coordinated by the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). In the ChipNL Competence Centre, TU/e aims to bring its experience with managing the developer community for PICs from JePPIX, complementing Dutch electronic chip design capabilities with the latest photonic and heterogeneous techniques.
Activities and support of the ChipNL Competence Centre
The ChipNL Competence Centre supports SMEs, start-ups and multinationals to access European pilot lines that allow them to test and validate new technologies in a controlled and advanced environment. In addition, an innovative design platform is being developed within the EU Chips Act to support industry in designing and developing customised semiconductor solutions. The ChipNL Competence Centre also facilitates access to this by providing support and knowledge. TNO, imec and JePPIX will be responsible for these activities.
To train the right talent for the future, the centre will cooperate with the EU Skills Initiatives and the Microchip Talent reinforcement plan (project Beethoven). The talent programme should promote the development of new skills and strengthen the labour market for the semiconductor sector. Brainport Development and ChipTechTwente will be responsible for these activities.
In addition, the ChipNL Competence Centre offers support in obtaining funding through the EU Chip Fund, which was set up specifically to stimulate innovative projects in the semiconductor industry. These activities are complemented by support in business development, fundraising and internationalisation, as well as identifying innovation opportunities within the sector. The regional development organisations OostNL, InnovationQuarter and BOM and High Tech NL will be responsible for these activities.
This grant acts as a booster for the Dutch chip industry to strengthen its knowledge position and competitiveness and consolidate its position within Europe. By supporting companies with access to pilot lines, the design platform, financing opportunities and talent programmes, the ChipNL Competence Centre aims to provide a solid foundation for SMEs and start-ups to compete in the global market.
