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ChipNL kicks off with a design platform for chips
The EU Chips Design Platform aims to lower the threshold for IC designs, particularly for startups and academia. During the launch of ChipNL at the Noviotech Campus in Nijmegen, coordinator Romano Hoofman laid down the broad outlines.
Opinion
5 billion for chips in the Netherlands
Semiconductors form the foundation of our future. If we don’t maintain the foundation, we lose the house, argues industry veteran André van Geelen.
Background
“AI won’t replace designers – but it will change everything”
At the opening of the ChipNL Competence Center at the Noviotech Campus in Nijmegen, optimism and uncertainty collided. Behind the ceremonial tone, a deeper question emerged during a discussion session on the influence of artificial intelligence on chip design. How should Europe respond?
Analysis
Nanoimprint lithography won’t compete with EUV anytime soon
A new analysis refutes Canon’s claims that nanoimprint lithography can take on EUV.
Interview
“The value isn’t in cutting costs, but in system integration”
Five billion euros per year – that’s what André van Geelen believes the Netherlands needs if it really wants to make progress in semiconductors. According to him, that investment will more than pay for itself through knowledge, employment and economic growth. Bits&Chips asked Van Geelen to paint the full picture.
Editorial
Let’s not forget Itec in the Nexperia affair
The storm surrounding Nexperia has mostly been told as a story about chips and geopolitics. But in the shadow of that debate sits a smaller, quieter player: its subsidiary Itec. At this firm resides mechatronic know-how that’s just as strategic as semiconductors.
Editorial
Free money
The Dutch government is showering its semiconductor champions with subsidies. Why are taxpayers footing the bill for an industry that doesn’t need the money?
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Analysis
Chips without a plan: the Dutch semiconductor crossroads
The Netherlands’ trading DNA has become a liability in a world where technology is geopolitics. Even more than fresh capital, what’s needed is a political and administrative reset, in which vision and direction are no longer dirty words.
Background
Eindhoven’s Eyeo reinvents the image sensor
Eindhoven-based startup Eyeo is rewriting the rules of imaging. By applying silicon photonics to ditch color filters, it has created a sensor that captures more light, shrinks camera size and boosts performance.
Background
Simulation-accelerated engineering: shrinking speakers without shrinking performance
Sonos redesigned its speakers to fit in a slim soundbar without compromising audio quality. To achieve this, it merged its audio expertise with innovation from Mayht, a Dutch company acquired in 2022, and simulation software that significantly sped up the engineering process.
Analysis
The Dutch key to new European strengths is systems thinking
Semiconductors and chipmaking equipment have long been the crown jewels of Dutch industry. The systems thinking developed in this sector is a treasure of European importance and might be the key to success in other areas like photonics. But systems engineering isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. To stay competitive, the Netherlands must learn to fine-tune its engineering approach to the specific demands of each market.
Background
Digital twins accelerate progress at Atlas Copco
Atlas Copco is implementing digital twin technology to drive digital transformation, particularly in its Compressor Technique division. With more than 250,000 connected machines in the field, the global industrial company is building a digital ecosystem with real-time data acquisition that supports data-driven decision-making, operational efficiency, product personalization and increased customer value.
Analysis
Even a tech titan sometimes feels the weight of its crown
ASML finds its throne less comfortable these days. The king of chipmaking tools finds itself grappling with a changing semiconductor landscape, negative publicity on high-NA EUV and a prolonged downturn.
Interview
“It’s unhealthy that we’re so dependent on one company, with one machine”
The Netherlands is missing many opportunities by not marketing scientific knowledge, by betting on too many horses and by not following through. So says TNO chief Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi. “Policy, schmolicy. You can make policy all you want, but if it’s not executed upon, nothing happens.”