The government is offering €500 million for semiconductor production. Ministry of Economy launches call for projects

semiconductori placa Sursa foto: Pixabay

The Ministry of Economy has opened the call for innovative investment projects in microelectronics through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, for which the Government is making available €500 million.

“Romania has a tradition in microelectronics, but lately we have become integrators, buying products that we integrate and then export. What we want through this project is to develop an ecosystem that includes large companies, SMEs, national development centers and universities, so that we can provide the products needed for the automotive industry, but also other sectors of the economy,” Minister Florin Spătaru said earlier.

The Ministry of Economy has published the final methodology and documents that must accompany the applications of potential participants in the Important Project of Common European Interest in Microelectronics and Communications Technology IPCEI ME-CT.

The project is addressed to both large companies, SMEs and start-ups, which can be direct/indirect participants, and research organizations (research institutes, universities), which can only be indirect participants. All applicants must be part of the microelectronics value chain, from research to raw materials, processing, recycling.

Projects to receive financial support must have a strong innovative component that advances the stage of technology development and may include investments needed for first industrial deployment, which fits in with the objectives defined at the European level for the IPCEI ME/CT.

Earlier, the Minister said that the automotive and agriculture industries were targeted, but not only.

“We are looking in particular at the automotive industry, but these are also large manufacturers who want to develop these production capacities and they will certainly not stop at the automotive industry. In agriculture we need semiconductors. Romanian agriculture no longer works the way it did 20 years ago, it needs automation, products that use these materials,” he said.

Participants’ applications should be submitted in English and fully completed between 17 January and 7 February 2022 to the Ministry of Economy at politici_industriale@economie.gov.ro.

The deadline for submission is 7 February 2022 at 10:00, with each applicant receiving a unique registration number. Applications submitted after the deadline are not eligible. Full details of the launch of the call can be found on the Ministry of Economy website.

Urmărește mai jos producțiile video ale Economedia: