- Within the Pilot Line Program of Integrated Photonics, the Madrid Institute IMDEA Networks has been awarded €4.4 million and thus joins four other Spanish entities already awarded in this call.
- The Council of Ministers has also approved €3.9 million in the framework of the JU Chips Programme which supports the creation of a network of competence centres located throughout Europe. These centers will facilitate Spanish companies in the sector, especially SMEs, to improve their productivity through access to technical knowledge and experimentation spaces in the field of semiconductors
- Spain wants to strengthen the national chip ecosystem and, especially, the photonics, technology that allows to develop chips faster and with lower energy consumption thanks to the use of light (photons) instead of electrons
The Council of Ministers today approved the award of 4.4 million euros to IMDEA Networks, the data network research institute based in Madrid, within the framework of the Integrated Photonics Pilot Line. Once the aid is granted, the European Commission will match that amount, so IMDEA Networks will receive a total of €8.8M.
IMDEA Networks is thus joining the four entities that were awarded last July in this same call: the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) (awarded 23.1M€; it will receive 46.2 M€ in total); the Polytechnic University of Valencia (16.5 M€ awarded, total investment of 33M€); the National Center of Microelectronics (CNM) (15M€ awarded, total investment 30M€) and the University of Vigo (7.5 M€ awarded, 15M€ total investment). Therefore, with this new award, a total of €133M will be invested to promote the research and development of faster chips with lower energy consumption, thanks to the use of light (photons) instead of electrons.
The Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Service, Óscar López, stressed that “these investments strengthen the design, innovation and production of the Spanish microelectronics and semiconductors industry, so they represent a strategic opportunity for the Spanish market and allow us to continue moving forward to achieve Spanish and European digital sovereignty.”
Centres of Competence
The Council of Ministers has also approved an award of 3.9 million euros, within the framework of the JU Chips Competition Centers Program, to create two competition centers in Spain. These centres will make it easier for Spanish companies in the sector, especially SMEs, to improve their productivity through access to technical knowledge and experimentation spaces in the field of semiconductors. As in the Integrated Photonic Line Program, the Commission provides the same amount as that awarded by the member country, so the investment mobilized will be almost € 8 million.
- A competition center is the “PIXSpain Competence Centre”, endowed with one million euros. It is attended by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV); the State Agency Conseil Supérieur de Recherches Scientiques (CSIC); the Fundaciò Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO); the Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M); the University of Vigo; and the University of Malaga (UMA).
- The “MicroNanoSpain Competence Centre” will receive three million euros and includes the Spanish Association of the Semiconductor Industry; the State Agency Higher Council for Scientific Research; the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre; the Polytechnic University of Madrid; the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.