Key Digital Technologies – The keys to our digital future – brochure

15 Feb 2021

Electronic and Photonic components, and the Software that defines how they work, are Key Digital Technologies underpinning all digital systems, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things.

Electronic components and systems

Semiconductor components – chips that capture, store, process, transmit and act on data – are a key enabling technology of electronic products and systems critical to all digital products and services.  Semiconductor chips, in particular processors,  are of growing importance in data processing for data infrastructure and communication, high-end and general purpose computing and future application trends like autonomous driving and AI.

The Commission is planning several actions with the involvement of Member States and industry on processors and semiconductor technologies including:

Declaration on a European Initiative on Processors and semiconductor technologies

Investments will be required from the private sector, the EU budget, and national budgets.

Industrial Alliance on microelectronics

Commissioner Breton has called for a European alliance on microelectronics to rebuild Europe’s capacity to produce high-quality microelectronics

Important Project of Common European Interest

A new IPCEI on Microelectronics is being proposed with a focus on processors and connectivity.

Scale-up Flagship on Microelectronics and Cloud Capabilities

European flagships were announced under the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2021. The 6th flagship, so-called “Scale-up”, covers Microelectronics and Cloud Capabilities.

Key Digital Technologies joint undertaking

The KDT joint undertaking builds on its predecessor ECSEL and is expected to significantly increase investments.

Testing and Experimentation Facility for Edge AI

The facility will enable companies to develop, test and experiment AI product prototypes based on advanced low-power computing technologies, custom-designed for their application environment.

Photonics: the science and technology of light

The Commission is planning several actions with the involvement of Member States and industry on photonics including:

The Photonics Europe co-programmed partnership

The new partnership on photonics to start in 2021 will speed up photonic innovations

Photonics Pilot Lines

Seven pilot-line projects are active. The projects offer access to technologies for the design and manufacturing of photonic integrated circuits PICs on different platforms.

Digital Innovation Hubs for photonic technologies

Building on the successful series of technology transfer activities of the ACTPHAST programme the Commission is about to launch a Digital Innovation Hub on Photonics.

Cyber-physical systems: intersections between the physical and cyber worlds

Trustworthy, secure, safe, reliable and explainable cyber-physical systems are at the centre of Europe’s competitiveness.