Semiconductors are a strategic issue not only for Europe but for the whole world, and fortunately Czechia realized in time that it has strong cards in its hand – from researchers to top manufacturers to companies that had no idea of their role in this sector until now. In this interview, Michal Lorenc, Vice President for Industry, explains why the Czech National Semiconductor Cluster was created, how hidden gems are sought out, and what role quantum technologies and artificial intelligence play in this. Michal Lorenc also works for onsemi in Rožnov. Tereza Cinka interviewed him for the university magazine News at BUT.
What was the motivation for establishing the cluster?
The semiconductor ecosystem basically did not exist before 2022. The company onsemi operated in the Czech Republic, but it was not well known outside Rožnov. Of course, there were technical fields of study at schools, but without a clear development strategy. Individual entities worked on their own projects, for which they sought suitable partners, but there was no perception of the system as a whole.
From the beginning, the motivation was for the semiconductor cluster to connect entities in Czechia involved in education, research, and development, all the way to industrial applications. The cluster started with four founding members, and we are currently approaching fifty. These are highly qualified entities that have real potential to develop not only their semiconductor competencies, but can also contribute to the development of the entire ecosystem.
The creation of the national semiconductor cluster is linked to the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, when Czechia succeeded in bringing the European Chip Act to fruition. However, it turned out that we ourselves had no idea how to implement it in the Czech Republic. At the request of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, an organization was established for this very purpose, which we now call the Czech National Semiconductor Cluster.
What is the main goal of the cluster?
To support the Czech Republic’s competitiveness in the field of semiconductors. This means connecting the entire ecosystem – from research and education through development to industrial applications. The goal is to triple the volume of the semiconductor industry in our country by 2029. To this end, we have set 40 specific tasks in the national semiconductor strategy. And we are trying to identify strengths and support their further development, whether it be chip design, research and development, new materials, or the production of semiconductor components with overlap into their application.
Can you name some of the institutions involved and their roles?
The public is probably most familiar with semiconductor manufacturing, represented by onsemi in Rožnov, the direct successor to the historic Tesla Rožnov. Another manufacturer is Hitachi Energy in Prague, which builds on the legacy of the former ČKD Polovodiče. Czechia is very strong in equipment for the semiconductor industry. The most sophisticated equipment is represented by Tescan and Thermo Fisher Scientific with electron microscopy for chips and semiconductor materials. But we are also very good at vacuum and high-temperature solutions, for example thanks to SVCS, which develops and manufactures furnaces for semiconductor production, or Streicher with vacuum chambers.
The professional public then perceives the role of the Czech Republic in the field of subcomponents for the semiconductor industry, in Brno it is Delong Instruments or Meopta in Přerov, which manufactures optics. An interesting company is Crytur in Turnov, which is a world-renowned manufacturer of optoelectronic components and is involved in the production of semiconductor detectors, which are essential for electron microscopy.
Is the goal to gradually involve other companies in semiconductors?
Exactly. There is room for companies that are close to this field but may not yet realize what role they can play in the semiconductor ecosystem. One example is the aforementioned Crytur, which two years ago did not identify itself as a semiconductor company, but today is a member of the Czech National Semiconductor Cluster and recently opened new clean rooms for the production of semiconductor detectors. This is a milestone in an investment plan totaling up to CZK 800 million and, thanks to state support, a very concrete Czech contribution to the fulfillment of the European Chip Act. These are hidden gems that we are trying to discover. This is doubly true for Crytur, because they are involved in garnet crystal growth technologies.
Czechia has interesting potential for semiconductor technologies overall, because the required technological capabilities overlap with the requirements for the automotive industry. Promising companies with overlap into applications – such as semiconductor solutions for space or medical applications – are a separate chapter.
What is the connection between the Czech Semiconductor Center and the cluster?
The cluster is a co-founder of this center. Each country could establish one competence center, which can obtain funding for four years under the European Chip Act. Its task is to facilitate access to design tools and pilot lines, i.e., to enable companies to design their own chips and then have them manufactured as prototypes.
What does cooperation between the companies involved look like? Aren’t they often competitors?
Yes, we have companies in the cluster that are global players and competitors—for example, electron microscope manufacturers in Brno. On closer inspection, we often find that companies that are competitors in the global market operate at different levels of the semiconductor chain, which leaves room for cooperation and common interests – for example, in the area of supporting semiconductor education, research, and development.
Of course, companies also compete in the area of human resources, because we all need experts. But there is no point in fighting over twenty graduates a year; we need a thousand graduates. That is why we must create conditions for the development of the entire ecosystem – which is the mission of the cluster.
What other areas are you focusing on?
In addition to the automotive industry, where Škoda Auto is an important partner, we are also focusing on energy, the defense industry, and cybersecurity. We are also monitoring the development of quantum technologies, an area where everything we already know about semiconductors can be put to use.
A key activity is to support chip design – the so-called fabless model, where a company designs a chip but outsources its production. This presents a great opportunity for Czechia, for example in cooperation with Taiwan, where cutting-edge and very expensive production capacities are already available. What is important are ideas and opportunities to implement them.
Where are there still gaps in Czechia that need to be filled?
Primarily in applications. We have strong research teams, but we need to strengthen our ability to translate knowledge into concrete business. For example, the integration of artificial intelligence into semiconductor systems has enormous potential, and I don’t just mean large language models, but also energy network management or security solutions using advanced chips.
Do you think Czechia has a chance to become a semiconductor country?
Definitely yes. We are already members of the most important European cluster network, the Silicon Europe Alliance, and we participate in key European projects. Our ambition is for Czechia to be known not only as a country of cars, but also of semiconductors.
Source: News at BUT (Tereza Cinka)
Photo: Václav Koníček
