News Article
SEMI issues white paper for Europe
The white paper highlights recommendations for increasing European competitiveness.
SEMI announced a white paper entitled “Six Recommendations to the European Union and National Governments to Increase Europe’s Microelectronic Industry Competitiveness.”
The paper comes in the wake of SEMI member concerns that a further decline of the mainstream microelectronics manufacturing base will have a negative impact on Europe’s overall competitiveness. The semiconductor equipment and materials industry in Europe employs close to 105,000 people and produces over nine billion EUR of semiconductor equipment and materials.
The paper defines concrete recommendations to ensure European competitiveness, including:
1. Develop a European vision for the industry;
2. Increase funding for R&D and manufacturing, closing the gap to keep up with state of the art technology, alleviate access for SMEs, improve co-ordination of existing R&D programmes;
3. Support the microelectronics supply chain, create industry incentives on the model of other regions, support dedicated fabs to create devices necessary for new and emerging applications, promote existing semiconductor industry clusters;
4. Cultivate education and welcome talent, stimulate student interest in engineering and natural science, alleviate immigration of high skilled work force;
5. Protect and enforce intellectual property, international protection of IP, needs for strong and efficient, harmonised IP laws;
6. Involve SEMI in new EHS legislation.
“Microelectronics have been, and continue to be, the driving force for technologies in all industries, helping to address societal challenges such as safety, climate change, energy shortages and health,” said Heinz Kundert, president of SEMI Europe. “In recent years, European competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing has diminished partly due to greater incentives and competition in other regions. Therefore, it is vital that the industry take immediate action to reinforce and revitalise our local industry to ensure future competitiveness and viability. There are opportunities, however, to continue prosperity of our industry needs a concerted vision by the industry, the EU and national governments to keep state of the art manufacturing in Europe going. It’s late, but not too late”.
The paper comes in the wake of SEMI member concerns that a further decline of the mainstream microelectronics manufacturing base will have a negative impact on Europe’s overall competitiveness. The semiconductor equipment and materials industry in Europe employs close to 105,000 people and produces over nine billion EUR of semiconductor equipment and materials.
The paper defines concrete recommendations to ensure European competitiveness, including:
1. Develop a European vision for the industry;
2. Increase funding for R&D and manufacturing, closing the gap to keep up with state of the art technology, alleviate access for SMEs, improve co-ordination of existing R&D programmes;
3. Support the microelectronics supply chain, create industry incentives on the model of other regions, support dedicated fabs to create devices necessary for new and emerging applications, promote existing semiconductor industry clusters;
4. Cultivate education and welcome talent, stimulate student interest in engineering and natural science, alleviate immigration of high skilled work force;
5. Protect and enforce intellectual property, international protection of IP, needs for strong and efficient, harmonised IP laws;
6. Involve SEMI in new EHS legislation.
“Microelectronics have been, and continue to be, the driving force for technologies in all industries, helping to address societal challenges such as safety, climate change, energy shortages and health,” said Heinz Kundert, president of SEMI Europe. “In recent years, European competitiveness in semiconductor manufacturing has diminished partly due to greater incentives and competition in other regions. Therefore, it is vital that the industry take immediate action to reinforce and revitalise our local industry to ensure future competitiveness and viability. There are opportunities, however, to continue prosperity of our industry needs a concerted vision by the industry, the EU and national governments to keep state of the art manufacturing in Europe going. It’s late, but not too late”.
