EU Invests €700 Million in Europe's Largest Chips Act Pilot Line

The European Union has launched its largest Chips Act pilot line, NanoIC at IMEC Leuven. This is a major milestone for European semiconductor development and manufacturing.

With a total investment of €2.5 billion, the facility has received €700 million in EU funding, €700 million from national and regional governments, and the remainder from ASML and other industry partners. NanoIC will accelerate the development of next-generation semiconductor technology, which is essential for AI, autonomous vehicles, healthcare, and 6G mobile technology.

NanoIC is the first European facility to deploy the most advanced Extreme Ultraviolet lithography machine, focusing on designing and manufacturing chips using technology with features below 2 nanometres. This marks a significant advancement in European semiconductor manufacturing technology. The facility will allow researchers and companies to test new chip designs, equipment, and processes at a near-industrial scale before mass production.

It is built on the principle of open access, with start-ups, researchers, SMEs, and large organisations able to use the facilities at NanoIC. Hosted by IMEC (Belgium), its partners include CEA-Leti (France), Fraunhofer (Germany), VTT (Finland), CSSNT (Romania), and Tyndall National Institute (Ireland). Designed to bring chip technologies from the ‘lab to the fab', the pilot lines are a key pillar of the Chips for Europe initiative under the Chips Act. They will strengthen the position of European players in the global semiconductor supply chain and be open to trusted partners, supporting Europe's industrial base and competitiveness while helping retain and attract talent.

The five pilot lines (NanoIC, FAMES, APECS, WBG, and PIXEurope) under the Chips Act together represent a combined EU and national investment of €3.7 billion, bridging Europe's research excellence with industrial application. The opening of the NanoIC pilot line follows the inauguration of FAMES on 30 January. The beginning of operational activity of these infrastructures is a key milestone in strengthening Europe's semiconductor sovereignty and industrial base.