The news of a shortage of computer chips is pouring in, and as Ny Teknik wrote the other day, the world market for silicon-based chips is today dominated by three companies – one in the US and two in Asia, which puts Europe in a vulnerable situation.

Germany’s Finance Minister Peter Altmaier now wants to see change and calls for an EU-wide initiative to promote the European semiconductor industry. The investment will be made together with the industry and Peter Altmaier expects to be able to mobilize large investments.

He recently made the statement at the Europe 2021 digital conference, which Elektroniktidningen drew attention to German Handelsblatt wrote about.

According to Peter Altmaier, the investment is about a double-digit billion amount (in euros), “not in the lower, but in the middle segment”. He said that the amount could not be determined exactly until all the participating Member States had determined their shares and the participating companies had submitted their plans, but that it could in any case be EUR 20-50 billion.

Peter Altmaier is now working with his French colleague Bruno Le Maire and other representatives to implement an IPCEI project for the semiconductor industry. (IPCEI = Important Project of Common European Interest). In addition to manufacturing, such a project would also include the development of semiconductors. Unlike the European Processor Initiative, EPI, Peter Altmaier literally wants to build semiconductor factories in Europe, ie factories that compete with TSMC, Samsung and others.

– Europe and also the United States have lagged behind, and Germany has realized how vulnerable it is when Volkswagen is left in production because they lack electronic components. It is good that you realize that it takes a collection to get on track and it is important that you realize the magnitude of the investments that will be required over a long period of time, says Klas Moreau, CEO of ZeroPoint Technolgies, to Ny Teknik.