The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports is actively involved in supporting research and development in semiconductor technologies, which are among the key areas for Europe’s future competitiveness. Through its involvement in European programs, it contributes to the formation of a common strategy. The interests of the Czech Republic are represented here by research and development specialist Michal Vavra. The interview was published in the university magazine News at BUT.
What role does support for the semiconductor industry play in the future direction of the Czech Republic and the European Union?
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports considers support for research, development, and innovation in the field of semiconductors and key digital technologies in general to be crucial for ensuring the competitiveness of the Czech Republic and the EU as a whole. The key role of these technologies is also reflected in strategic documents at the EU and national levels, such as the European Chips Act and the Czech National Semiconductor Strategy, which sets specific, tangible, and measurable goals whose fulfillment has the potential to significantly contribute to the development of the Czech semiconductor industry.
Please tell us more about the activities of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in the field of semiconductor technology development.
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports represents the interests of the Czech Republic in the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), which is one of the institutionalized European partnerships of the 9th Framework Program Horizon Europe, through which, together with other EU member states, the European Commission, and representatives of the European semiconductor industry, actively contributes to efforts to ensure European competitiveness and strategic autonomy in semiconductor technologies.
Could you describe the development of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports’ semiconductor initiative within the EU?
The evolution of the importance of semiconductor technologies and their understanding in the EU can be clearly seen in the activities of the Joint Undertaking for Chips and its predecessor initiatives. As early as 2009, the first international projects were funded by the then ARTEMIS and ENIAC Joint Technology Initiatives, which, with the Horizon 2020 framework program, were transformed into the ECSEL Joint Undertaking focused on supporting research projects in the field of electronic components and systems with overlap into the application sphere. With the Horizon Europe framework program, the thematic scope of the KDT Joint Undertaking’s activities was expanded to the more general area of key digital technologies. With the entry into force of the European Chips Act, the KDT JU was transformed into the Chips Joint Undertaking, and both its budget and funded activities were significantly increased. Funding for excellent research and innovation projects has been maintained, but new capacity-building activities have been added, including the establishment of a Europe-wide network of competence centers in the field of semiconductors, pilot lines for chip production, and the creation of a design platform focused on chip design.
How would you assess the involvement of Czech entities in the projects of the Joint Undertaking for Chips and its predecessors to date?
Thanks to their long-term involvement, their own excellence, and stable funding from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, many Czech research institutions from universities, institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and companies have built an excellent reputation among partners from leading European companies and top universities. As a result, Czech partners, such as the Brno University of Technology, among others, are repeatedly entrusted with leading roles in international consortia. The fact that partners from the Czech Republic are involved in about half of all funded projects under Chips JU and previous programs can be considered an indisputable success for Czech universities, companies, and public research institutions and proof of their excellence in this area.
If we focus more on the financial side of things, could you give us a rough estimate of the costs associated with this program?
Since 2015, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has spent more than CZK 700 million on the participation of Czech entities in Chips JU projects and the previous ECSEL and KDT programs, and further investments are planned. These financial resources are supplemented by an EU financial contribution and the participating companies’ own resources in a similar amount. This clearly shows the significant role and impact of the semiconductor sector on the entire Czech economy.
If we take a broader view of the whole issue, what other impacts of semiconductor development could we observe?
In addition to direct financial support, secondary positive impacts on supported entities from the Czech Republic can also be observed over time. These include deeper cooperation between the academic and private spheres, including the transfer of scientific knowledge and research results into practice, partnerships with leading research institutions and leading European companies, the development of new products, services, and know-how, and the associated growth of companies and increased market presence. In the case of academic institutions, there has also been an increase in the number of publications and the application of knowledge in teaching and the expansion of educational programs.
How would you describe the importance of the newly established Czech Semiconductor Center in the future direction of semiconductor infrastructure?
The establishment of the Czech Semiconductor Center (CSC), coordinated by the Brno University of Technology, is another important milestone that will contribute to supporting Czech entities’ access to European semiconductor infrastructure, strengthening the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry in the Czech Republic, strengthening cooperation between academia and industry, strengthening technology transfer, and creating an ecosystem in which startups and small and medium-sized enterprises in particular will have access to research and technological expertise. The establishment of the competence center also fulfills one of the important goals of the Czech Republic’s National Semiconductor Strategy. In addition, entities from the Czech Republic are also involved in coordinating a Europe-wide network of competence centers, an emerging design platform, and future pilot lines for quantum chips.
What do you think the future holds for the Czech Republic in the semiconductor industry?
It is clear that the Czech Republic has the potential to play a significant role in Europe in the field of semiconductor technologies. However, this can only be achieved if stable, long-term, and sufficient support is provided by all stakeholders, from the state to the private sector. Among other things, the establishment of the Czech National Semiconductor Cluster, which brings together important representatives of the Czech semiconductor ecosystem and enables the effective articulation of the interests of the Czech semiconductor industry at the national level and towards our foreign partners, was a very important step. It is necessary for the Czech Republic to continue its active involvement in European initiatives in the field of semiconductors at various levels, as investments made to support research, development, and innovation in semiconductors and other key digital technologies are investments in our future and our competitiveness.
Author: Tom Velčovský (News at BUT magazine)
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