Finland goals to develop into a European semiconductor chief, with the Tampere Area central to this effort by means of the Finnish Chips Competence Centre, SiPFAB pilot line, and EU Design Platform, supported by sturdy collaboration and a talented workforce.
Finland has embraced the EU Chips Act with dedication, constructing a robust nationwide collaboration community to advance the semiconductor trade. The technique brings collectively universities, company specialists, and public actors to create a development platform for the semiconductor enterprise. Inside this framework, the Tampere Area performs a big function.
Mr Petri Räsänen, Director of the Chips from Tampere programme at Enterprise Tampere, sees nationwide collaboration as the important thing issue enabling fast growth on this northern nation.
Räsänen stated: “The Tampere region’s semiconductor expertise is constructed on a legacy of designing advanced built-in circuits and optoelectronics. In Espoo, Kvanttinova leverages the analysis experience of VTT and Aalto College, particularly in supplies science and silicon processing. Oulu boasts a robust historical past in radio know-how, whereas in Joensuu, Photonics Finland focuses on specialised optical and photonic experience. Every space is crucial, and collectively, we are going to succeed.”
The dynamic transformation of the semiconductor sector in Tampere is clear in three parallel initiatives. Tampere College is establishing a SiPFAB pilot line for hybrid integration and packaging; the nationwide Chips Competence Centre (FiCCC) started its operations in early 2025 with its headquarters in Tampere; and thirdly, the EU Design Platform is paving the best way for Europe’s semiconductor know-how management with sturdy contribution from SoCHUB.
FiCCC: Finnish Chips Competence Centre launched
FiCCC is a nationwide and European hub for specialists, connecting firms and professionals working in semiconductor know-how. The competence centre is headquartered in Tampere, with entry factors additionally in Espoo, Oulu, and Joensuu.
FiCCC has secured €8m in EU funding, with the aim of supporting firms in growing their experience and constructing new collaboration networks. FiCCC coordination workplace in Tampere has simply began operations with the primary staff in the beginning of January. The coordination workplace is a member of the consortium arrange by the European Community of Chips Competence Centres (ENC).
FiCCC will concentrate on strengthening the European data base in two interrelated competence areas the place Finland has one of the best capacities to contribute on the European degree. These are:
- Excessive-performance vitality environment friendly and sophisticated system-on-chip design.
- Specialised manufacturing and integration processes, together with quantum applied sciences, MEMS, RF and optoelectronics, broad band hole semiconductors (SiC and GaN), ALD and MBE applied sciences.
SiPFAB: Specializing in the back-end of semiconductor manufacturing
Superior packaging and chiplets play an more and more vital function in semiconductor know-how and vertical purposes. Tampere College’s System-in-Package deal pilot line will deal with these themes and concentrate on growing the ultimate phases of semiconductor manufacturing, together with integration, packaging and testing. Because the back-end associate of the EU WBG pilot line, SiPFAB will combine and check third-generation energy-efficient semiconductors and associated hybrid chip methods for numerous end-user industries.
This €40m undertaking and the state-of-the-art 1,300m² clear room facility will lay the inspiration for analysis and growth collaboration in superior packaging throughout Europe.
Design platform allows R&D for chips startups and SMEs
Within the semiconductor enterprise, fabless firms are well-positioned to drive technological developments and meet the wants of various purposes. The EU design platform will present firms with entry to superior chip design applied sciences through a cloud-based EDA platform and thus strengthen the EU’s chip design experience and enterprise.
SoC HUB from Tampere College is the Nordic associate within the €25m undertaking growing the foundations of the Design Platform. The platform may also facilitate startups and smaller firms to enterprise into design with assist from the upcoming Design Enablement Groups.
Why Tampere could be an actual semiconductor hub
Along with sturdy nationwide and EU collaboration, Petri Räsänen highlights the supply of extremely educated expertise as Tampere’s benefit. This expertise pool is partly because of Nokia’s legacy.
“Of the 8,000 chip design engineers working within the EU, over 500, or about 6%, are based mostly in Tampere. A good portion of Nokia’s high-end semiconductor growth is situated in Tampere. Alongside this, Microsoft and Nordic Semiconductors, one among Europe’s main design service firms, even have models in Tampere. On the similar time, Tampere College is strategically dedicated to growing the expertise pipeline as the biggest HEI in chip design in Finland.”
Tampere has additionally established a robust cluster of firms producing and making use of photonic methods, III-V compound semiconductors, and laser applied sciences – sometimes called the ‘Laser Valley.’ Globally lively firms within the cluster embrace Modulight, Schott, Coherent, Optofidelity, and Vexlum.
With Tampere repeatedly ranked as Finland’s most tasty metropolis, the area’s semiconductor future appears to be like promising. A major demand for expert professionals is anticipated within the coming years.
For extra info go to: www.businesstampere.com and www.FiCCC.fi
Please be aware, this text may also seem within the twenty first version of our quarterly publication.
