Brussels, 25 April 2025 - The Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) has adopted the final text of the Hosting Agreements for two pilot lines, PIXEurope and the Wide Band Gap (WBG) pilot line, and selected 30 competence centres to be implemented across 28 European countries. These actions mark a significant step towards strengthening the semiconductor capabilities in Europe, paving the way for wider access to innovation infrastructure and support services across the region.  

The pilot lines driving Europe’s chip innovation 

WBG and PIXEurope are the latest of five pilot lines with which the Chips JU is formalising contractual relations. Supported by €700 million from the European Union, Participating States and private organisations, these pilot lines represent a strong public-private commitment to building Europe’s technological sovereignty. The Hosting Agreements define the key operating principles of the pilot lines and are a necessary step to sign contracts for the pilot line implementation, with the launch of infrastructure procurements starting in the near future.  

The pilot lines will be fundamental to speed up the development, testing, and scaling of semiconductor innovations, bridging the gap between research and industrial production. They will be accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, including universities, RTOs, SMEs, and companies across the EU and like-minded countries. 

The WBG pilot line, coordinated by the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) in Rome, Italy, brings together 15 organisations from seven countries to advance the adoption of wide-band gag technologies, which are particularly used in power electronics. PIXEurope, coordinated by the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Castelldefels, Spain, unites 20 partners from 11 countries to boost the development of photonic integrated circuits. It will establish the world’s first open-access photonic Integrated circuits ecosystem, covering the full value chain from design and chip fabrication to packaging, testing, and reliability. 

National competence centres supporting Europe’s innovators 

The Chips JU has also finalised the selection of 30 national competence centres, distributed across the 27 EU Member States and Norway. These centres will support SMEs, start-ups, and research institutions by helping them develop skills, enhancing technical expertise, transferring knowledge, scaling up their innovations, and by facilitating access to pilot lines and the design platform. Competence centres serve as local hubs for accessing Europe's semiconductor resources. 

Jari Kinaret, Executive Director of the Chips JU, emphasises the progress made in such a short time: “With the completion of the Hosting Agreements, we are entering a new phase for these pilot lines, focusing on the implementation of the activities. The rapid progress made on the competence centres is equally remarkable: ensuring that every EU Member State hosts a centre is a key step in building a truly Union-wide platform for knowledge sharing and skills development. As these initiatives take shape, we are laying solid foundations for long-term impact in Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem.” 

Pilot lines and competence centres are two components of the Chips for Europe Initiative. The two other components managed by the Chips JU, namely the design platform and quantum chips, are also progressing well. It is expected that first users will be invited to access the design platform by the end of the year. 

Background:   

 The EU Chips Act entered into force on 21 September 2023, as a measure to bolster Europe’s competitiveness and resilience in semiconductor technologies and applications. The Chips JU is implementing a significant part of the “Chips for Europe Initiative”, the first pillar of the European Chips Act. The initiative focuses on bridging the gap between Europe’s advanced research and innovation capabilities and their industrial exploitation, while fostering manufacturing activities, innovation, and the scaling up of technologies across the entire value chain. Through funding calls under the Horizon Europe and Digital Europe programmes, the Chips JU is driving the development of Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem.  

About Chips Joint Undertaking: 

The Chips Joint Undertaking supports research, development, innovation, and capacity building in the European semiconductor ecosystem. Launched by the European Union Council Regulation No 2021/1085 as amended in September 2023 via Council Regulation 2023/1782, it contributes to reinforce the competitiveness and resilience of the semiconductor technological and industrial base, engaging a significant EU, national/regional and private industry funding of nearly €11 billion. The Chips JU is funded by the European Union, Chips JU Participating States and the Private Members. 

 Media Contacts: 
Chips Joint Undertaking  
communication@chips-ju.europa.eu 
Luciano.Gaudio@chips-ju.europa.eu