The ENIAC Joint Undertaking Takes the Initiative to Drive up to 1B€ Investments in Pilot Lines for Key Enabling Technologies

BRUSSELS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The ENIAC Joint Undertaking invited today the European R&D actors in nanoelectronics to express their interest to coordinate Key Enabling Technologies “Pilot Line” projects underpinning up to 1B€ of private and public investments in the next 2 years.

“Taking this initiative, the ENIAC Joint Undertaking fulfils its charter to increase and leverage public and private investment in nanoelectronics in Europe, becoming one of the main mechanisms implementing the Key Enabling Technologies policies to strengthen European competitiveness and allow the emergence of new markets and societal applications.”

The “Micro- and nanoelectronics, including semiconductors” has been recognized by the High-Level Experts Group nominated by the European Commission as a Key Enabling Technology (KET). The final report recommended that the EU and its policy makers take steps to retain critical capability and capacity in these domains of vital European importance.

The ENIAC Joint Undertaking engages now in preparing future potential calls for proposals in alignment with the KET concepts by issuing an invitation for expressions of interest to coordinate “Pilot Line” projects. Andreas Wild, the Executive Director of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking, said: “Taking this initiative, the ENIAC Joint Undertaking fulfils its charter to increase and leverage public and private investment in nanoelectronics in Europe, becoming one of the main mechanisms implementing the Key Enabling Technologies policies to strengthen European competitiveness and allow the emergence of new markets and societal applications.”

A KET “Pilot Line” project shall be executed by a consortium establishing a manufacturing facility to implement an innovative technology in novel products meeting social challenges, and build demonstrators to be later deployed in real life European manufacturing sites.

Extrapolating the initial evaluation of the “Pilot Line” project ideas, the private investment and the public funding through incentive programmes for R&D and other channels shall approach 1B€ to be engaged in the next 2 years.

About ENIAC JU
The ENIAC Joint Undertaking (JU) is a public-private partnership focusing on nanoelectronics that brings together the ENIAC member States, the European Union, and AENEAS (an association representing European R&D actors in this field). The ENIAC JU was set up in February 2008 and will allocate grants throughout 2013, executing the projects selected for funding till 31 December 2017. The total value of the R&D activities generated through this partnership is estimated at 3 B€.