UK chip sector can now access EUR 1.3bn of EU funds
The UK might be out of the EU, but its chip firms has just been granted access to the bloc's Horizon Europe funding programme.
The UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.has confirmed that it has joined the EU’s ‘Chips Joint Undertaking’ project, which was launched by the European Commission in November 2023. Joining provides access to the EUR 1.3 billion fund set aside to support research in semiconductor technologies up to 2027.
The UK has joined the initiative as a “Participating State”, allowing the country to collaborate more closely with European partners on semiconductor innovation and assume a role in setting research priorities.
The first tranche of money will be an initial UK5 million granted this year by the UK government, with an additional UK30 million promised between 2025 and 2027. Tens of thousands of UK companies are now eligible for Horizon Europe grants, which are worth £450,000 to a business on average.
“Our membership of the Chips Joint Undertaking will boost Britain’s strengths in semiconductor science and research to secure our position in the global chip supply chain,” said the UK’s technology minister, Saqib Bhatti. "This underscores our unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and cements our important role in shaping the future of semiconductor technologies around the world."
