Today, the European Commission unveiled EU Chips Act, a package of proposals, initiatives, and regulations for the semiconductor industry across the member states. As President von der Leyen pointed out when she announced the ambition to craft a European “chips” strategy, “There is no digital without chips. … [W]e need to radically raise Europe's game on the development, production and use of this key technology.”

The Silicon Europe Alliance strongly supports this initiative. It is vital that Europe support its semiconductor industry and strengthens its resilience. The entire value chain, from chip design and manufacture to end-users must be fostered within Europe. As an alliance that represents clusters whose focus is Europe’s active small and medium enterprise (SME) community, Silicon Europe hopes to see further development of mechanisms, strategies, and (reworked) regulations specifically helpful to these companies. Connecting these energetic and agile businesses – an integral part of the European economy – with the semiconductor business value chain at the ground level is indispensable.

Equally, we find it vital to any European chips actions to create durable and healthy relationships between manufacturers and end-users. Cultivating strong ties between those who manufacture chips and those who use them is the only way to ensure a more efficient semiconductor industry in Europe.

As a member of the Silicon Europe Alliance, we at GAIA are happy to share this message, and to continue to build a strong ecosystem among Europe’s leading digital technology clusters.