Czech semiconductor centre launches in Brno
Another step toward Europe's semiconductor independence has been taken with the launch of the Czech Semiconductor Centre (CSC) in Brno. The centre will focus on supporting innovation, prototyping, and the growth of European fabless companies.
As the Czech national competence centre under the European Chips Act, CSC aims to strengthen Europe's semiconductor independence.
The CSC is led by Brno University of Technology, in collaboration with Czech Technical University in Prague, onsemi, Codasip, the Czech National Semiconductor Cluster, and innovation agency JIC. Together, the goal is to build a "European hub of excellence" in chip design, education, talent development, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) support.
The centre will support European fabless companies with mentoring, financial guidance, access to advanced design tools, prototyping platforms, and small-scale chip production — critical for the growth of European SMEs in semiconductor design and instrumentation, and for reducing reliance on overseas supply chains.
Besides chip design, the Brno region is strong in electron microscopy — a technology crucial for semiconductor development, manufacturing, and quality control throughout the entire chip lifecycle.
"One in every three electron microscopes used globally comes from Brno. This concentration of electron microscopy expertise strengthens a strategic advantage for Europe's semiconductor ambitions in terms of a resilient supply chain," says Petr Strelec, director of the Brno site of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a press release.
Brno is home to Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tescan, and Delong Instruments, all major players in electron microscopy. In 2023, they exported 93% of production and invested heavily in R&D, reinforcing the region's deep tech credentials.
"The Czech semiconductor ecosystem, with Brno at its centre, represents a vital piece of Europe's strategy to reduce reliance on non-European chip production," says Karel Masarik, director of CSC and founder of RISC-V company Codasip. "With Brno's unique combination of chip design expertise and complementary technologies like electron microscopy, we are contributing critical capabilities to Europe's semiconductor value chain."
