ENIAC Joint Undertaking Reaches 1.8B Euro in Semiconductor Research Boosted by KET Pilot Line Projects

BRUSSELS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The total R&D volume engaged in the ENIAC Joint Undertaking (JU) programme reached 1.8B Euro at the end of 2012. 2012 projects sum up to more than 4 times the volume achieved two years before, thanks to ambitious Key Enabling Technologies (KET) Pilot Line projects and enabled by a strong involvement of the ENIAC member States. The budget available for 2013 allows supporting R&D projects approaching 1 B euro total eligible costs.

The KET Pilot Line projects summing up to 730 Million euro strengthen the European 300mm infrastructure (59%), support significant developments in diversification technologies on 200mm and smaller diameters (13%), and allow the equipment and materials suppliers to prepare for the transition to 450mm generation (28%).

Andreas Wild, Executive Director of the ENIAC JU, said: “The stakeholders in the ENIAC JU programme - the industry, the ENIAC member States and the European Union - gain confidence in its ability to deliver, more than doubling the total investments two years in a row. This is a solid basis for future action to re-establish Europe in a leading position”.

The ENIAC JU research agenda covers three technology and five application areas with societal impact. The projects are carried out by more than 530 participating organizations among which 26% are large companies, 41% SMEs, and 33% Universities and research institutes.

About the ENIAC Joint Undertaking

The ENIAC Joint Undertaking (JU) is a public-private partnership on nanoelectronics bringing together the ENIAC member States, the European Union, and AENEAS (an association representing European R&D actors).

It coordinates research activities through competitive calls for proposals to enhance the further integration and miniaturization of devices, and increase their functionalities. It shall deliver new materials, equipment and processes, new architectures, innovative manufacturing processes, disruptive design methodologies, new packaging and ‘systemising’ methods. It will drive and be driven by innovative high-tech applications in communication and computing, transport, health care and wellness, energy and environmental management, security and safety, and entertainment.

The ENIAC JU was set up in February 2008 and will allocate grants throughout 2013. The projects selected for funding shall be executed till 31 December 2017. The total value of the R&D activities generated through ENIAC JU is estimated at 3 B€.