Seeking to explore semiconductor policy measures that can strengthen the industrial policy in the European Union, SEMI and the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA) have successfully held a high-level roundtable event in the European Parliament under the auspices of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Bart Groothuis (Renew Europe), Oliver Schenk (European People's Party) and Dan Nica (Socialists and Democrats Party).

The 2023 European Chips Act marked an important milestone for Europe's semiconductor industry and overall industrial ecosystem, providing concrete measures to enhance competitiveness and technological capabilities. In order to build on the success of the Chips Act, after the roundtable, MEPs signed a joint declaration to the European Commission's Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, calling for an ambitious follow-up to the Chips Act that adds new research and development (R&D) funds, attracts new investments, and increases European competitiveness.

The European Commission today approved funding under the European Chips Act for the Infineon Technologies AG Smart Power Fab in Dresden. The official funding approval from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), which is responsible for the disbursement of EU Chips Act funding, is still pending and is expected within the next few months. Additionally, the Smart Power Fab is already receiving support under the European Commission's IPCEI ME/CT ("Important Project of Common European Interest on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies") innovation program. The total funding for the Dresden site amounts to around one billion euros. Construction began in March 2023 and is progressing successfully. The Fab opening is planned for 2026.

"This government-supported investment by Infineon strengthens the position of Dresden, Germany and Europe as a semiconductor hub and promotes a state-of-the-art innovation and production ecosystem for microelectronics," says Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon. "We are increasing semiconductor capacity in Europe and thus helping secure stable supply chains in automotive, security and industrial fields."