The Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) is a European public-private partnership established in 2023 to strengthen Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem and its technological leadership, aiming in particular to:
- Strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy in electronic components and systems
- Promoting innovation and the development of advanced semiconductor technologies
- Bridging the gap between research, innovation and production in the semiconductor industry.
It is a tripartite partnership involving the European Union, some Member States and associated countries (such as Iceland, Turkey and the United Kingdom) and 3 private industrial associations (Aeneas – which promotes Research, Development and Innovation in Electronic Systems and Components -, EPoSS – the European Technology Platform for the Integration of Intelligent Systems – and INSIDE – the European Technology Platform for Intelligent Digital Systems).
This partnership manages a combined budget of around 11 billion euros and aims to focus on:
- Build innovative large-scale design capabilities for integrated semiconductor technologies and integrated circuits
- Improve existing pilot lines and develop new ones
- Develop advanced technology for quantum chips
- Create a network of Semiconductor Competence Centres across Europe.
In addition, this partnership is primarily responsible for implementing the ‘Chips for Europe’ Initiative, whose work plan comprises a total budget of around 15.8 billion euros by 2030.
Chips JU is primarily responsible for implementing the Chips for Europe Initiative, a key part of the European Chips Acts, with a total budget of 15.8 billion euros by 2030. This initiative aims to:
- The establishment of a Design Platform, a cloud-based virtual environment offering easy access to different design tools (Electronic Design Automation Tools – EDA), IP (intellectual property) libraries, standardisation tools and other resources, for public and private entities on European soil, as well as support services.
- The improvement and development of Advanced Pilot Lines, with a view to industrialisation on a European scale through the testing, experimentation, prototyping and demonstration of new electronic devices, with the motto ‘from the laboratory to the factory’ (lab-to-fab).
- Strengthening capacities in the area of Quantum Integrated Circuits, accelerating their development and also related technologies.
- The creation of a Network of Semiconductor Competence Centres throughout the European Union.
- The establishment of an Integrated Circuits and Semiconductors Investment Fund to facilitate access to finance for start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs.
