KDT officially launched

30 Nov 2021

The Council of the European Union gave on 19 November its green light to the Single Basic Act -SBA- aiming at facilitating the launch of 10 new European Partnerships, namely ‘Joint Undertakings’, between the European Union, Member States and/or the industry, to deliver innovative solutions in Europe for global health, technology and climate challenges. And the SBA officially published on 30 November 2021, entered into force.

Institutionalised partnerships

The EU will provide nearly €10 billion of funding from Horizon Europe -HE- for the ten institutionalised partnerships that the partners  will match with at least an equivalent amount of investment. This combined contribution is expected to mobilise additional investments in the areas of health, transport, energy, digital technology and metrology, create jobs and growth, and generate long-term positive impact on the environment and the society.

“These Partnerships are all about pooling research and innovation resources and ensuring that research results are turned into useful innovations for the citizens.” highlights Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.

KDT launch

The new European partnerships created within HE are tri-partite – EU, Member State and industry – funding instruments that aim to accelerate the transition towards sustainable development goals and a green and digital Europe.

The EU intends this set of partnerships to deliver more strategic, coherent impact. The partnerships will focus on objectives, outcomes and impact that can be achieved by 2030. They are intended to make a clear contribution to related EU policy priorities and have a clear impact for people based on a shared strategic vision.

“With Horizon Europe we are committed to emerge from the climate crisis, provide sustainable solutions to major environmental challenges, improve citizens’ health and accelerate a sustainable recovery.” adds Mariya Gabriel.

Among the institutionalised European partnership is the new Key Digital Technologies (KDT) partnership, which is directly relevant for the Electronic Components & Systems (ECS) industry.

KDT definition and objectives

The SBA defines the term ‘key digital technologies’ as referring to electronic components and systems that underpin all major economic sectors, also encompassing their design, manufacture and integration in systems and the software that defines how they work.

And it states “The importance of the area and the challenges faced by the stakeholders in the Union require urgent action in order to leave no weak link in Europe’s innovation and value chains.”

Specifically, the KDT partnership will address clearly defined topics that will enable European industries “to design, manufacture and use” the most innovative electronic components and systems. It will deliver structure coordinated financial support to maintain the current strengths of EU research and industry and to “close the gap in technologies that are critical for a digital transformation in Europe that reflects core Union values including privacy and trust, security and safety”.

Openness in integrating relevant stakeholders, particularly SMEs in emerging and adjacent technology areas, is seen as vital. In addition, HE will encourage close collaboration and synergies to achieve “greater scientific, socioeconomic and environmental impact and uptake”.

And the overarching objective of KDT JU is to support the digital transformation of all economic and societal sectors and the European Green Deal, as well as support R&I towards the next generation of microprocessors.

Together with the Declaration on a European Initiative on processors and semiconductor technologies signed by 22 Member States, the recently launched Industrial Alliance on processors and semiconductor technologies, and a possible new Important Project of Common European Interest under discussion by Member States to foster breakthrough innovation, this new partnership will help boost competitiveness and Europe’s technological sovereignty.

More about the Single Basic Act entered into force here.

More about the news from the EC ‘Commission welcomes approval of 10 European Partnerships to accelerate the green and digital transition’ here.