European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA)

Ministers meet tomorrow at the #COMPET Council of the European Union to discuss the future of 🇪🇺 #competitiveness and the #DraghiReport 🏆📑 With a Europe re-focusing on competitiveness, ESIA believes the recently published report of Mario Draghi on the future of European competitiveness is providing important guidance for the work ahead of the new College of Commissioners. Specifically, regarding the semiconductor sector and value chain, ESIA considers that the European Commission should come forward with a new strategy and a revised EU chips act. ESIA stands ready to support this work with our expertise and know-how. ESIA is convinced that funding and innovation rightfully represent key aspects of a future EU semiconductor strategy. The existing R&D toolbox should be further developed and sharpened. Additionally, calls from the report to address the skills gap in Europe, to develop international partnerships, to improve permitting and reduce bureaucracy and to strengthen the EU energy market, are fundamental building blocks of an effective EU semiconductor strategy. Check out ESIA’s position paper 👇 @HU24EU

After almost 80 hours of hearings and countless questions – not to mention the deliberations & negotiations that followed –, the European Parliament has approved the new College of Commissioners under President Ursula von der Leyen! ESIA is looking forward to meaningful exchanges with the European Commission in the next five years, and wishes in particular to congratulate Executive Vice Presidents Henna Virkkunen, Stéphane Séjourné, Roxana Minzatu, and Teresa Ribeira Rodíguez, as well as Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis, Wopke Hoekstra, Michael McGrath, Jessika Roswall, Maroš Šefčovič, and Ekaterina Zaharieva. For the 2024-2029 EU mandate, ESIA seeks to further boost the semiconductor industry in Europe, underpinned by a holistic industrial strategy that includes policies for research 🔬, innovation ✨, manufacturing 🏭, trade 🔁, sustainability 💚, and a skilled workforce 🛠️

I am happy to share that I have started a new position as Director-General at the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA).   The European semiconductor industry is finding itself at a critical crossroad. In the next years, the EU institutions will keep shaping the policy framework for the semiconductor industry and, thereby, build on the achievements of the past Commission term, notably the EU Chips Act. Over the next five years, policy measures must be taken in Europe to further boost the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry. We need a holistic industrial strategy for our industry which includes policies for research, innovation, manufacturing, trade, sustainability, and a skilled workforce.   I am very much looking forward to the work ahead and would already like to thank the ESIA Board for their trust in me.

ESIA calls on ministers meeting at today’s #FAC Council of the European Union meeting on trade to recognise the critical importance of forging partnerships with other regions around the globe 🌎, including – but not limited to – the United States 🇺🇸, Japan 🇯🇵, and South Korea 🇰🇷 By aligning policies and fostering collaborations, Europe can significantly enhance the resilience and strength of the #semiconductor ecosystem. Strategic international cooperation is essential for ensuring the robustness of our supply chains and driving innovation in this pivotal industry 🌐🚀

Today and tomorrow, the Digital Hungary Agency (Digitális Magyarország Ügynökség, #DMÜ) will co-host the #DigitalDecade Board Meeting together with the European Commission’s DG #CNECT in Budapest 🇭🇺 At this opportunity, participants will look back at the achievements of the Digital Decade Policy Programme (#DDPP) made under the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and anticipate the #TTE Council meeting on 6 December 2024. Looking ahead, the upcoming Polish and Danish Presidencies will also present some of their plans 🇩🇰 🇵🇱 ESIA is committed to helping shape a future-oriented, holistic EU #semiconductor strategy jointly with European Commission, European Parliament, and EU Member States. In order to make the Digital Decade a success, we need to focus on the key strengths of the semiconductor industry in Europe, underpinned by strategic RD&I roadmaps and supported by concrete actions to reach market scale ⚖️⚙️🧠🌍🌱🔬⚡️🎯

On Tuesday evening, former Finnish Minister of Public Administration & Local Government and #MEP Henna Virkkunen had her confirmation hearing before the European Parliament 🏛️ As the potential future Executive Vice-President for “Tech-Sovereignty, Security & Democracy” in the European Commission, she was vetted by no less than six Parliament committees 🌐🛡️🕊️ Given the relevance of her portfolio for the European #semiconductor industry, ESIA warmly welcomes Commissioner-designate Virkkunen’s strong emphasis on the importance of our sector during the hearing 🔲🔝 You can read ESIA’s full statement below ⤵

#Semiconductors are in every product and service today. No car 🚗, plane ✈️, phone 📞, PC 💻, watch ⌚, data centre 🗄️🌐, solar PV 🌞, wind turbine 🌬️, tablet 📱, robot 🤖, medical device 🏥, or space equipment 🛰 would exist without chips. They are the foundation of all modern electronic devices, and as such, have a tangibly positive impact on citizens’ everyday life. The EU’s success in championing the global race for technology leadership will hinge on our capacity to create the right framework conditions for European chipmakers to thrive 🌍🤖🇦🇮🏆 Former Finnish Minister of Public Administration & Local Government and Member of the European Parliament Henna Virkkunen was nominated and assigned the Executive Vice-Presidentship in the European Commission for the “Tech-Sovereignty, Security & Democracy” portfolio 🌐🛡️🕊️ Tonight, she will be interviewed by Parliament Committees on Industry, Research and Energy (#ITRE) and Internal Market & Consumer Protection (#IMCO), as well as on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (#LIBE), on Legal Affairs (#JURI), the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (#SEDE), and the Committee on Culture and Education (#CULT). ESIA advocates for an immediate ‘Chips Act 2.0’ process to avoid losing momentum in this crucial time. For instance, the approval process for the so-called first-of-a-kind manufacturing facilities must be quicker, if Europe wants to reach its objective of 20% global chip production share by 2030 🔲📜2️⃣ More on that in the first comment 🇪🇺📝

European #semiconductor companies compete in a globally intertwined ecosystem. Their competitiveness is measured against regions across the globe 🌍 Given their crucial role for Europe’s industrial resilience, the EU has set itself a target of reaching 20% market share in global chip production. Europe’s state aid regime is a crucial piece in the puzzle and must be made future proof 🧩🔜 Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge of 🇪🇸 Teresa Ribeira will have her hearing this evening. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed her for the Executive Vice-President role steering the “Clean, Just and Competitive Transition” portfolio ⚖️🚀 Both the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) ‘Microelectronics’ and ‘Microelectronics and Communication Technologies’ have been crucial to advancing complex and strategic projects in semiconductor tech 🔲📡 However, IPCEIs must be simpler to access, faster to process, and implemented more swiftly. Given the short innovation cycles and harsh competition from other regions, multi-year approval cycles for innovations beyond state of the art are difficult to justify. Such delays lead to a loss of competitive edge 🗺️⏱️

The second important hearing this afternoon will be for former 🇫🇷 Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Stéphane Séjourné, nominated for the European Commission Executive Vice-President role for “Prosperity and Industrial Strategy” 🏭🍀 ESIA calls for a European smart policy approach with a competitiveness check at its core. Policies across all areas – environment 🌱, technology 📱, trade ✈️, energy 🔋, manufacturing ⚙️, finance 💳, reporting 📋, skills 🧠, and talent growth 💪 – need to be balanced, consistent and follow a pro-business approach. Conflicting policies and extensive administrative requirements block the European semiconductor industry’s ability to compete globally and thrive and, consequently, contribute to the overarching EU goal of supply chain resilience 🌐🛒🛡️ This competitiveness check must apply to new regulatory initiatives as well as to the existing legal framework 🏛️📜⚖️ More on that in the first comment 👇🏻

ESIA welcomes initiatives such as the “EU Talent Pool” and sees it as an important steppingstone to tackle looming talent shortages. However, to effectively address the issue, more efforts are needed ⤴️ Member of the European Parliament and 🇷🇴 nomination to become European Commission Executive Vice-President for “People, Skills and Preparedness” Roxana Minzatu is going to have her hearing later today. She will face questions from the Committees on Employment and Social Affairs (#EMPL), on Culture and Education (#CULT), as well as on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (#FEMM), and on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (#LIBE) 🛠️📚🏳️🌈⚖️ ESIA is urging her and all 🇪🇺 institutions to join forces with Member States and launch an EU-wide education strategy to attract talents to STEM subjects. These efforts must explicitly target schools, from primary level onwards, and universities. Expanding and strengthening dual learning – combining apprenticeships and school education 🔧🏫 – across Europe and increasing students’ early exposure to technology and industry must be core building blocks of the EU strategy. ESIA consequently calls on decision makers to strengthen the cooperation between the #EYCS Council of the European Union and industry to develop a holistic European semiconductor talent curriculum 🎓💻 More in the first comment 📖