The Chips Joint Undertaking (JU) supports research, development, innovation, and future manufacturing capacities in the European semiconductor ecosystem.
The European Chips Act and the amendment to the Regulation establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe entered into force on 21 September 2023, paving the way for strategic developments in the chip technology sector.
One significant outcome of these changes was the expansion and renaming of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking (KDT JU), into the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU). As part of the Chips for Europe Initiative, the Chips JU confronts semiconductor shortages and strengthens Europe’s digital autonomy, engaging a significant EU, national/regional and private industry funding of nearly €11 billion.
Objectives
The Chips JU has an enlarged scope compared with the KDT JU. It has been indeed equipped for its new tasks related to the Chips Act.
The Chips JU will implement activities under the original KDT JU (also known as ‘non-Initiative’ activities) as well as activities under the ‘Chips for Europe Initiative’ under the first 4 operational objectives detailed hereafter:
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Objective 1: Build large-scale design innovative capacities for integrated semiconductor technologies
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Objective 2: Enhance existing and developing new pilot lines
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Objective 3: Build advanced technology and engineering capacities for accelerating the development of quantum chips
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Objective 4: Create a network of competence centres across Europe
The Chips JU activities are broken down into research & innovation activities and capacity building activities.
More details about the Chips Act and the Chips JU here.
Global funding
As the outcome of a long legislative process, the EU budget will support the Chips for Europe Initiative with a total of up to €3.3 billion, including €1.425 via Horizon Europe, €1.45B via Digital Europe Programme and €425 M for the Chips fund via Invest EU and the EIC in the period 2023-2027. Together with €1.3 billion from the EU budget for the KDT JU, this results in a total EU budget of €4.175 billion for the Chips JU.
The Participating States are expected to provide commensurate amounts. Therefore, together with the contributions from project participants, the total public and private budget of the Chips JU for 2023-2027 will be about €11 billion.
Builds on KDT JU and ECSEL JU achievements
The KDT JU renamed Chips JU builds on its predecessor the ECSEL JU, which had a total of €4.8 billion investment and included 16 calls, 92 projects, and more than 3 100 participations.
Today Europe accounts for roughly 9-10% of global production – up from 6% five years ago thanks to the EU ECSEL initiative, which has been instrumental to reverse this trend.
Work Programme
The Work Programme (WP) is structured in two parts:
- One specific part dedicated to the implementation of the Chips for Europe Initiative including:
- A sub-section on capacity building activities (funded under the Digital Europe Programme)
- A sub-section on related research and innovation activities (funded under Horizon Europe)
- Another specific part dedicated to the R&I activities not covered under the Chips for Europe Initiative, being the continuation of the KDT JU activities (funded under the Horizon Europe Programme).
All research & innovation activities will be based on the Electronic Components and Systems Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda prepared by the industry associations AENEAS, EPoSS and Inside and adopted by the Governing Board of the Chips JU.
More information on the Work Programme on the Chips JU portal.
The role of AENEAS in the Chips JU
The three Industry Associations AENEAS, Inside and EPoSS, that are partnering in the Chips JU with the European Commission and the Participating States, represent RD&I actors, such as large companies, SMEs, RTOs and universities. Their members participate in the Chips JU programme through collaborative projects.
The three Industry Associations, each have a seat with voting rights in the JU Governing Board, allowing them to represent the interests of their members and get the best conditions for their RD&I activities, be it in terms of topics covered by the Calls for proposals or the funding conditions of the associated grants.
Strategic Areas
The ECS SRIA is the basis for the Chips JU Calls for proposals. For the focus topics, please also refer to the description of each focus topic under the next coming Work Programme.
ECS key applications
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Mobility -
Health and Wellbeing
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Energy -
Agrifood and Natural Resources
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Digital industry -
Digital society
Foundational technology layers
Cross-sectional technologies
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Process Technologies, Equipment, Materials and Manufacturing -
Components, Modules and Systems Integration -
Embedded Software and Beyond -
Systems of Systems
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Artificial Intelligence, Edge Computing
and Advanced Control -
Connectivity -
Architecture and Design: Methods and Tools -
Quality, Reliability, Safety and Cybersecurity
Chips JU Calls
The Chips JU opens yearly calls according to the Work Programme and based on the ECS SRIA.
More information about opened and upcoming calls here
Chips JU Contacts
Chips JU
White Atrium Building
Avenue de la Toison d’Or 56-60
1060 Brussels
Belgium
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+32 2 221 81 02 -
enquiries@kdt-ju.europa.eu