EU Chips Act pilot line starts operation
The EU Chips Act-funded pilot line for 'Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems' (APECS) has begun operation providing large industry players, SMEs, and start-ups with access to cutting-edge technology.
The consortium, which has funding of around €730 million over 4.5 years, brings together the technological competences, infrastructure, and know-how of ten partners from eight European countries. Germany (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as coordinator, FBH, IHP), Austria (TU Graz), Finland (VTT), Belgium (Imec), France (CEA-Leti), Greece (FORTH), Spain (IMB-CNM, CSIC) and Portugal (INL). APECS is coordinated by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and implemented by the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD).
The APECS pilot line focuses on bridging application-oriented research with innovative developments in heterogeneous integration, in particular emerging chiplet technologies. By pushing beyond conventional system-in-package (SiP) methods, APECS aims to deliver robust and trusted heterogeneous systems, significantly boosting the innovation capacity of the European semiconductor industry.
“Fraunhofer plays a central role in the implementation of major projects such as APECS, which strengthen Germany's technological resilience and capacity for innovation,” says Holger Hanselka, president of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. “With our practice-oriented research and close collaboration with industry, academia, and political partners, we lay the foundation not only for developing cutting-edge technologies but also for bringing them into industrial application. APECS is an example how to connect research with business – it underscores how close cooperation with ministries and other partners can secure Europe´s position in the global microelectronics market.”
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