Facilitated access to funding is an essential catalyst for stimulating collaborative Research & Development and Innovation (RD&I) activities across the Electronic Components and Systems (ECS) value chain. A wide range of European and national programmes support microelectronics, nanoelectronics, embedded software, and smart systems integration. As an industry association, AENEAS both partners in and operates funding instruments, ensuring that industry needs are effectively reflected in European funding priorities.
AENEAS works with large companies, SMEs, research institutes and academia to help create support programmes tailored to the needs of the consortia that have been developed.
AENEAS is one of the three Industry Associations partnering in the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), alongside the European Commission and Participating States. The Chips JU is the main European funding instrument for collaborative RD&I in electronic components and systems under the EU Chips Act and Horizon Europe (2021–2027). It supports large-scale innovation actions, research projects, design initiatives, competence centres, and pilot lines strengthening Europe’s technological sovereignty and industrial competitiveness.
In addition to its role in the Chips Joint Undertaking, AENEAS operates the Xecs EUREKA Cluster (and, before it, predecessor programmes PENTA and EURIPIDES²). Xecs is an industry-driven EUREKA Cluster for fast, market-oriented innovation in Electronic Components and Systems. Xecs enables agile, bottom-up collaboration across the full ECS value chain, with strong engagement of national public authorities through the EUREKA Network. While PENTA is no longer launching new calls, ongoing projects continue to run and deliver impact. The EURIPIDES² programme, focused on smart systems integration, successfully concluded its activities in 2025 after supporting numerous market-oriented innovation projects.
Depending on the objectives and structure of the envisaged project, other funding programmes may match the needs of the consortia members. For this reason AENEAS has built links to other Commission, EUREKA and National funding structures through the EUREKA Network, European Commission and National Governments.
AENEAS is ready to work with and support developing consortia, offering access to collaboration tools, providing strategic guidance and other support services.
