Transforming technology into reliable industrial solutions

Sérgio Tavares COO at HFA, discusses the company’s mission to be a leading technology partner in the industrialization and production of electronics in Europe.

SIS: Can you give us an overview of HFA’s mission and core activities within the semiconductor industry, particularly in the context of Europe’s evolving ecosystem?

ST: We are an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company with strong expertise in: high-density and complex SMT; THT; electromechanical integration; functional testing; coating; kitting, etc. We also have a dedicated line for the assembly of precision electronics.

In a European context where strategic autonomy is widely discussed, HFA positions itself as a very important ally between design and the market.

Our focus is not just on manufacturing - it’s on ensuring reliability, flexibility, and close technical proximity to the customer.

SIS: How does HFA position itself strategically within Europe’s semiconductor landscape, and what competitive advantages does it bring compared to other European and global players?

ST: Europe is strengthening its capacity in chip design and manufacturing. The value chain doesn’t end with the wafer - it ends with the functional product in the field.

HFA positions itself at the end of this chain, providing chip packaging services in HMLV (High Mix Low Volume), just like its other EMS services.

SIS: Europe has recently rolled out significant semiconductor initiatives and funding programs. How has HFA engaged with these European initiatives, and what impact have they had on your development plans?

ST: HFA currently has a strong presence in the microelectronics agenda, with a very significant investment planned and approved under co-financing programs for this segment. We strongly believe that these incentives will help companies position themselves competitively in the market. HFA aims to be one of the leading European players in HMLV (High Mix Low Volume) chip packaging.

SIS: Supply chain resilience has become a major focus across the semiconductor sector. How has HFA navigated supply chain challenges, and what steps are you taking to strengthen European supply chain independence?

ST: HFA is also facing supply chain challenges. However, as a result of the transformations of recent years, we are now much more focused on having:

• Early demand visibility;
• Risk assessment by component;

What we do:

• Collaborative planning with clients;
• We have a highly capable DFM team that can propose alternative components to our clients;
• Diversification and qualification of suppliers;
• Strategic stock reinforcement in critical components; We believe that resilience here is more linked to the ability to produce reliable information and the capacity for adaptation than to the ability to maintain large stocks.

SIS: Sustainability and energy efficiency are key trends in semiconductor manufacturing. How is HFA addressing environmental concerns within its products and operations?

ST: Sustainability is a part of our day to day to reduce our footprint in every single board we produce:

• Energy optimization of SMT and THT lines, which are the largest energy consumers in our industry;
• Use of more environmentally friendly products, e.g., soldering alloys, fluxes, cleaning products, etc.;
• We seek partnerships with certified suppliers;
• Reduction of waste of raw materials and consumables;
• Monitoring of industrial consumption;
• Installation of energy management equipment that switches between the grid, batteries, and the instantaneous production of our solar panel park;
• Reducers and timing of water consumption terminals;
• Installation of a reservoir for rainwater accumulation;
• Low-consumption lighting systems;

SIS: Talent and skills shortages are often cited as barriers for Europe’s semiconductor ambitions. What is HFA doing to attract and retain technical talent, and how do you see the broader skills ecosystem evolving?

ST: At HFA, we have been making a strong investment in the continuous training of our employees, as well as for new employees with a very robust onboarding program with extensive initial training.

• Continuous internal training;
• Proximity to schools and universities;
• Clear and well-defined career progression plan;
• Development of technical career paths that are as valued as management career paths;
• In the case of semiconductors, we have a small laboratory equipped with an ISO 6 clean room for skills development in the field of microelectronics.

SIS: Collaboration seems vital for Europe’s semiconductor ambitions. Can you share examples of partnerships - industrial, academic, or governmental - that have been particularly impactful for HFA?

ST: We have an internship and trainee program aligned with several universities that has proven to be fundamental. We also have companies within the HFA Group that are linked to semiconductors, with whom we work very closely to develop joint solutions in order to bring solutions to market in the European context.

SIS: Looking ahead, what are HFA’s priorities for growth within the European semiconductor sector over the next 3 to 5 years, and what role do you see the company playing in shaping Europe’s semiconductor future?

Our priorities are clear:

• Strengthening our technological capacity;
• Industrial automation and digitalization;
• Growing our footprint in strategic European sectors (energy, defense, mobility, industry…)

We want to position HFA as:

• A leading industrialization partner for both EMS services and semiconductors.
• A resilient and technologically advanced company;
• An active contributor to European industrial autonomy;

The European future of semiconductors depends not only on manufacturing chips — it depends on transforming technology into reliable industrial solutions. And that’s where HFA wants to be.