Commission approves €288M German state aid for chip value chain
Germany notified plans to support Zeiss’s ‘HNA@SCALE’ project, which will introduce and industrialise the next generation of EUV optical columns, and Zadient’s ‘Sic-Pro' investment project for the construction of a factory for SiC.
The European Commission has approved EUR 288 million in German State aid to support the setting up two new facilities in the semiconductor supply chain.
The aid consists of a EUR 222 million measure for Carl Zeiss to build a facility for the manufacturing of semiconductor production equipment in Oberkochen, Baden-Württemberg and a EUR 66 million measure for Zadient Materials Europe GmbH to set up a facility for the manufacturing of semiconductor source materials in Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, the Commission said in a press release.
The measures will contribute to strengthening the EU’s position and autonomy in the semiconductor value chain, in line with the objectives set out in the European Chips Act and the Commission’s 2024-2029 Political Guidelines, the Commission said.
Germany notified the plan to support Zeiss’s ‘HNA@SCALE’ project, which will introduce and industrialise the next generation of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical columns. These columns are required for the next generation of EUV lithography machines produced by the Dutch company ASML. EUV lithography is crucial to produce leading-edge chips, needed in key fields such as high-performance computing and autonomous driving systems. The aid will take the form of a direct grant of €222 million.
Germany also notified the plan to support Zadient’s ‘Sic-Pro' investment project for the construction of a factory for ultra-pure silicon carbide (SiC) to be used as semiconductor source material.
This project involves a circular system in which process gases are recovered and reintroduced in the production cycle. This is a novel process in the EU and is expected to support high material quality, energy efficiency and long-term cost-effectiveness. The aid will be provided in the form of a direct grant of €66 million.
“Chipmaking requires highly sophisticated production equipment and materials with special characteristics such as high purity,” said Teresa Ribera, European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition. “The German measures approved today strengthen the EU’s position in the semiconductor value chain and enable innovation to underpin Europe’s technological leadership and resilience in this field.”
