European semiconductor regions want to cooperate more

Europe's semiconductor regions want to further expand their cooperation. "This key global technology needs a really strong base in Europe," said Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) on Wednesday in Dresden at the first annual meeting of the European Semiconductor Regions Alliance (ESRA). The alliance will make a significant contribution to ensuring that Europe remains competitive in the semiconductor industry, strengthening Europe's technological sovereignty and promoting new jobs and economic growth in the regions.

On Wednesday, ESRA adopted its first joint position paper. It emphasizes the need to support the European semiconductor industry in the long term, to strengthen research and development and to create good and adequate framework conditions. In order to counter the shortage of skilled workers, the signatories also want to work more closely together in vocational training. ESRA was founded last September on the initiative of Saxony. It has 31 member regions from 12 countries.

Although the European economic area is large and important, it is no longer particularly competitive in many areas, said Kretschmer, referring to Europe's 10 percent share of global microchip production. Global competition in the field of microelectronics has been distorted for decades, for example due to high subsidies in Asia. "If we want this part of production, science and applications to take place here in Europe, then we will have to compensate for this distortion of competition to some extent," said Kretschmer.