The European Commission has launched a program to help early-stage chip design companies in a bid to establish the region as a manufacturing rival to the US and China.
The European Chip Design Platform (EuroCDP) - supported by €525 million in funding - will give chip design firms access to chip design tools, design support services, and intellectual property as well as access to manufacturing capacity on the platform.
Grants of up to €100,000 are available to early-stage startups for proof-of-concept prototyping, while more developed startups can apply for €16 million grants to help them meet the costs of commercialization.
"The European Design Platform gives our chips start-ups and SMEs the support they need to overcome the barriers to turn their innovative ideas into silicon," said Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy.
"It shows how Europe is ready to act on its technological sovereignty goals, not only through policy and promises, but also by investing in our future."
EuroCDP eyes domestic chip gains
Funding for EuroCDP breaks down into €440 million in public investment from the EU and member states that's available through grants, alongside a further €85 million to underpin the cloud-based platform's infrastructure, support services, and development of open source chip design tools.
The platform is operated by a consortium led by imec and is supported by the Chips Joint Undertaking, with solutions from electronic design automation (EDA) software being made available to semiconductor startups and SMBs.
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“Europe’s next generation of semiconductor innovation will come from organizations of many different sizes, not only established chip companies. EuroCDP is designed to give startups, SMEs and research teams a clearer pathway to the resources they need to develop new technologies," said Jari Kinaret, executive director of the Chips Joint Undertaking, Chips JU.
"Expanding the platform with Synopsys’ advanced design capabilities is an important part of making Europe’s chip innovation ecosystem more accessible and dynamic.”
Commercializing chip capabilities
As part of the scheme, 20 startups will take part in EuroCDP venture development programs, receiving technical and commercial training aimed at helping them turn their ideas into market-ready products.
The creation of the European Chip Design Platform was a central part of the EU Chips Act, aimed at reinforcing the semiconductor ecosystem in the EU, ensuring the resilience of supply chains, and reducing external dependencies.
The launch marks the latest in a series of efforts by the European Commission to bolster domestic chip manufacturing capabilities. Earlier this year, the Commission proposed a technological sovereignty package which includes a proposed Chips Act 2.0.
According to the Commission, this aims to boost demand for chips while supporting the design and production of advanced manufacturing processes across the region.
Other features of the package included the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), a new Open Source Strategy, and a Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in Energy.
"We know that Europe can't strengthen our position in the global semiconductor industry if we don't succeed in chip design," said Virkkunen.
"Fostering a vibrant design ecosystem in turn will create demand for manufacturing facilities and also strengthen the entire value chain in Europe."