Turning semiconductor strategy into competitive strength
From ambition to action: Europe focuses on delivery at EFECS 2025
Europe’s semiconductor strategy is shifting from lofty ambition to practical execution, with pilot lines, competence centres and cross-border collaboration emerging as concrete outcomes. This change in tone was evident at the European Forum for Electronic Components and Systems (EFECS) 2025, held on 3–4 December in Malta, where the emphasis moved firmly toward deliverables that strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in areas where it can lead.
Under the theme Accelerate Innovation: Building European Competitiveness, the forum highlighted early, tangible results from the EU Chips Act and the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU). After years of planning, initiatives such as pilot production lines, design platforms, competence centres and quantum projects are now operational, signalling that Europe is moving decisively from intent to implementation.
The geopolitical backdrop shaped much of the discussion. Malta’s Minister for Industry, Silvio Schembri, described semiconductors as the “new oil” in strategic and economic terms, while Prime Minister Robert Abela noted that chips already account for more than 20% of Malta’s exports and around 6% of GDP. Hosting EFECS, he said, reflects Malta’s ambition to play a meaningful role in Europe’s semiconductor future, supported by initiatives such as the Malta Semiconductor Competence Centre. Speakers also called for a streamlined and future-ready “Chips Act 2” to build on current momentum.
Via video link, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola warned that Europe’s global market share of around 13% is insufficient amid rising geopolitical pressures and trade frictions. While the first Chips Act has created momentum, participants agreed that the next phase must sharpen focus, cut red tape and ensure continuity for strategic projects.
In the opening panel, Arian Zwegers of the European Commission stressed that sovereignty should not mean isolation. Europe, he argued, must reduce critical dependencies without attempting to recreate an entire end-to-end value chain at unsustainable cost.
Industry voices echoed this pragmatic stance. Laurent Filipozzi of STMicroelectronics pointed to Europe’s strengths in automation, robotics and digital manufacturing as key to future competitiveness, while positioning sustainability as an enabler rather than a constraint. Markus Ulm of Robert Bosch and chair of EPoSS highlighted the deeply interconnected global nature of the semiconductor ecosystem, advocating targeted investment, strategic partnerships and smart industrial policy over unrealistic full autonomy.
Overall, EFECS 2025 marked a turning point: Europe is no longer just defining its semiconductor ambitions — it is beginning to deliver.
Project News
