French aid for Nano2017 programme

The European Commission has decided that French aid to STMicroelectronics (ST) for the development of new technologies in the nanoelectronics sector is in line with EU rules on state aid. It believes the project will help to achieve EU targets in the field of science and the environment without unduly distorting competition.

Commission Vice-President responsible for Competition Policy, Joaquín Almunia, said: “The aim of the Nano2017 programme is to make major advances in the field of nanoelectronics. It offers a new European dimension that will boost synergies between the three major European clusters and establish a structure for the sector. Once more, our decision shows that the monitoring of state aid does not in any way impede modern and forward looking industrial policies, but is a way of investing effectively in the key sector of research, innovation, and development.”

The aim of the Nano2017 programme is to develop new technologies for the design and production of the next generation of integrated circuits and to strengthen the structure of the European micro- and nanoelectronics industry by positioning the Crolles-Grenoble cluster as a global leader in the field of advanced CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) technology.

The programme is being implemented by a consortium of 174 partners led by ST. It will be partly financed by the ENIAC Joint Undertaking (in particular, new pilot line projects for Key Enabling Technologies) and thus forms an integral part of the objectives of Horizon 2020.

The Commission concluded that the aid would remedy market failures. It will improve co-ordination between companies in the sector and between companies and research bodies, making it possible for the results of the project to be disseminated widely through scientific publications and training programmes.

It will also enable European suppliers of the semiconductor industry (parts manufacturers, support services, substrate suppliers) to continue developing a state-of-the-art R&D and production infrastructure in Europe, allowing them to design innovative solutions that are tailored to the most advanced technologies. The research will focus on devising ways to reduce the power consumption of components. The Commission said it found the aid would have a positive effect on the value chain and would allow major energy savings to be made in the future.