Equipped with cutting-edge tools, including ASML’s High NA EUV tool,
imec’s cleanroom is acornerstone of the NanoIC initiative – pursuing
sub-2nm chip technology.• Exactly four years after EU President Von der
Leyen announced the European Chips Act,Europe’s semiconductor ambitions
have become a tangible reality.
LEUVEN (Belgium), FEBRUARY 9, 2026 — Imec – a world-leading R&D center
in advanced semiconductor technologies – today inaugurated a 2,000m²
cleanroom expansion at its Leuven headquarters, marking a pivotal
milestone in the deployment of Europe’s NanoIC pilot line. The event was
attended by European EVP Henna Virkkunen, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De
Wever, Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele, and ASML CEO
Christophe Fouquet, alongside representatives from the European
high-tech ecosystem – including industry and startups – the NanoIC pilot
line consortium, and policymakers from the EU, Belgium, and Flanders.
With a capacity of over 12,000m², imec’s cleanroom plays a crucial role
in the European Chips Act’s ambitions to position Europe at the
forefront of next-generation semiconductor innovation and manufacturing;
a strategy that will be instrumental in reinforcing the continent’s
industrial fabric in the AI era, while safeguarding a climate of
sustained economic growth, security, and prosperity for decades to
come.“Since announcing in May 2024 that imec would host the NanoIC pilot
line, we’ve moved at full speed – accelerating tool acquisition and
launching a comprehensive recruitment program. Today, that effort
culminates in the inauguration of a 2,000m² cleanroom extension at the
imec premises. It will house a best-in-class toolset, including ASML’s
next-generation High NA EUV scanner that is scheduled to arrive
mid-March,” said Luc Van den hove, CEO of imec.“Imec researchers are
working here side by side with IDMs, foundries, equipment and materials
suppliers, system companies, start-ups, universities, and fellow
European RTOs. Together, we have embarked on an ambitious journey to
push semiconductor technologies beyond the 2nm node. By providing access
to cutting-edge semiconductor technologies, the NanoIC pilot line will
play a crucial role in strengthening Europe’s industrial fabric in the
AI era, and ensuring a climate of economic growth, security, and
prosperity for decades to come,” he added.Strategic Importance and
Future OutlookAnd the momentum continues. With strong backing from the
European, Belgian, and Flemish governments – and a robust network of
industry partners – imec will soon begin construction of a whole new
4,000m² cleanroom at its Leuven campus, another key asset to bring
Europe’s NanoIC initiative to full cruising speed.
Over the next five years, the NanoIC pilot line will integrate more than
a hundred new tools, distributed across imec and partner sites at
CEA-Leti (France), Fraunhofer (Germany), VTT (Finland), CSSNT-UPB
(Romania), and Tyndall National Institute (Ireland). “We don’t have the
luxury of being the biggest or the strongest, but we do have the choice
to be the best,” explains Matthias Diependaele, Flemish
Minister-President. “Imec brings together talent, knowledge, and
international collaboration. With the NanoIC pilot line, Europe is
making that choice a reality: for technological excellence and strategic
independence. The fact that imec is hosting this pilot line underscores
the exceptional strengths that Flanders has developed in research and
innovation. Here, we are demonstrating how a world-class region can
shape the chip technology of tomorrow.”
A Step Forward for European Semiconductor Leadership
Christophe Fouquet, President and CEO of ASML: “Today we are making a
step forward in strengthening the chip technology ecosystem in Europe to
serve our customers, the world’s chipmakers. Through our 40 years
partnership at imec, together we have been driving faster innovation,
fostering stronger collaboration, and supporting the development of
regional talent, all of which are needed to support the advancement of
the worldwide chip industry and AI. We are today inaugurating the NanoIC
pilot line, that includes ASML’s High NA EUV system and which is the
best example of what we can do when worldwide leaders in technology
partner to bring together their latest technology and talent. Thanks to
the strong support of EU President Von der Leyen and the European Chips
Act, we are all very proud and thankful that this is happening at the
heart of Europe and will allow Europe to play an even more critical role
in the global semiconductor ecosystem”
The acquisition and operation of the NanoIC pilot line are jointly
funded by the Chips Joint Undertaking, through the European Union’s
Digital Europe (101183266) and Horizon Europe programs (101183277), as
well as by the participating states Belgium (Flanders), France, Germany,
Finland, Ireland and Romania. For more information, visit nanoic-project.eu
