News item | 29-09-2025 | 08:52
From artificial intelligence (AI) to critical infrastructure and defense: semiconductors are the basis behind technology and innovations that determine our future prosperity, safety and competitive position. Ministers of all 27 EU member states therefore today have the statement of the Semicon Coalition signed. This gives the required impulse to the arrival of the EU Chips Act 2.0 on the basis of five priorities. Namely strengthening the semiconductor sector through more cooperation, investments, sufficiently trained people, sustainability and agreements with international partners.
At the initiative of the Netherlands, the responsible ministers of Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Austria, Poland and Spain in March 2025 Semicon Coalition set up. Today, all other EU ministers have joined and signed the declaration prior to the EU Council of Competitement in Brussels. Minister Vincent Karremans (Economic Affairs) then handed over the joint statement to the European Commission.
In the meantime, more than fifty leading parties from the European and global semiconductor sector have ended the statement. For example, the urgency can be a quick revision of the EU chips act be enlarged. With the strategic goal the successful application of European semiconductors in various (final) markets such as energy, defense, automotive and AI. Something that is also in line with the report of Mario Draghi About the future of European competitiveness.
The statement has five priorities:
- Strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem through better cooperation between the sector, researchers, SMEs and startups.
- Investments: coordinate EU and national financing, accelerate the approval of strategic projects and mobilize more private capital.
- Training more people for this sector through a European talent pool for semiconductor technologies.
- Promote sustainability with a more energy -efficient and circular semiconductor production.
- Expanding international partnerships and collaborating with like -minded partners from outside the EU, while at the same time unwanted (technological) dependencies are prevented.
Minister Vincent Karremans (Economische Zaken): “De Europese industriestrategie moet zich aanpassen aan de toenemende geopolitieke spanningen. Deze unieke eensgezindheid van alle 27 ministers die ondertekenen, is daarom echt een mijlpaal. Niet alleen voor onze toekomstige welvaart, veiligheid en ons verdienvermogen. Maar vooral ook, omdat dit de weg is om de Europese positie in de halfgeleiderketen te versterken en uit te breiden. Bijvoorbeeld door veel meer kennis te commercializing and converting into innovations. ”
The Minister continues: “With this joint strategy, we have endorsed the need to increase production capacity in Europe itself and to invest extra in research, development and training. We are ready to meet the growing demand for semiconductors for, for example, AI, the automotive sector, the defense industry and energy infrastructure.”