All EU countries join Semicon Coalition to secure technological leadership
From artificial intelligence to critical infrastructure and defense: semiconductors power the technologies that define our future in terms of prosperity, innovation, resilience and competitiveness. By signing the Declaration of the Semicon Coalition all 27 EU member states underscore the urgent need for a revised and forward-looking EU Chips Act 2.0. The Declaration mentions 5 priorities: strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem through collaboration, investment, skills, sustainability and international partnerships.
At the initiative of the Netherlands the responsible Ministers of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain have established the Semicon Coalition last March. Today in Brussels all other EU Ministers joined and signed ahead of the EU Competitiveness Council whereupon minister Karremans of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands handed over the declaration to the European Commission.
More than 50 leading European and international semiconductor entities have already endorsed the Declaration uniting industry and governments. This step forward builds the momentum for the revision of the EU Chips Act placing end-markets at the heart of defining the bloc’s next strategic objective in the semiconductor sector. This is in line with the report of Mario Draghi on the Future of European Competitiveness.
The Declaration mentions 5 priorities where all the Ministers have agreed on.
- Strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem through collaboration among industry, research, SME’s and startups.
- Investment: align EU and national funding; accelerate approvals for strategic projects and mobilize private capital.
- Enhance skills by building a robust European talent pipeline in semiconductor technologies.
- Promote sustainability with an energy-efficient and circular semiconductor manufacturing.
- Expand international partnerships and collaborate with like-minded global partners while protecting European strategic autonomy.
Minister Vincent Karremans of Economic Affairs (The Netherlands): “Today all EU Ministers agreed on the fact that Europe’s industrial strategy should adapt to the increasing geopolitical tensions in the world. This unique unity is a landmark step forward in securing future strategic autonomy and broad prosperity. And more particularly in strengthening and expanding Europe’s leadership in the semiconductor value chain and enabling faster commercialization of innovation within the EU. We’ve underlined with this joint strategy the need to increase production capacity, invest in cutting-edge research and develop a skilled workforce throughout the EU. Europe is ready to meet the growing demands in AI, automotive, energy, and defense. Our industry and governments are committed to work together to build capacity and secure global competitiveness.”
Documents
Originally published at https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2025/09/29/all-eu-countries-join-semicon-coalition-to-secure-technological-leadership
