Chiptech Twente’s general manager Tim Tiek is stepping down after 9 months in office. Having united the local chip companies under one banner, taken inventory of the needs and put Twente on the map as a semicon region, the cluster “is entering a new phase, which means that other emphases are needed in the composition of the team,” a press release reads. This includes preparations for integration with a national strategy for semicon, photonics and quantum technology. Tiek’s other activities prevent him from making himself available for the full-time effort the new phase is calling for.
In a push to boost Twente’s local high-tech ecosystem, Chiptech Twente was announced well over a year ago. It’s primary ambitions are the construction of a foundry for manufacturing integrated photonics, MEMS, microfluidics and other micro and nanotechnologies and boost the region’s world-renowned chip design activities.

In addition, the cluster is looking to establish a Competence Center, which would serve as the Dutch hub for the European Chips Act. This national center would support the realization of the national semicon-photonics-quantum strategy by opening up knowledge, building consortia, attracting research programs and giving hands and feet to the talent task. The European Union will decide on the center’s funding in January 2024.
“Together with the team and all partners, we’ve worked very hard to get here with a tremendous amount of energy and unanimity, achieving the results from the first phase much faster than we’d initially anticipated. Now it’s time to continue building Chiptech Twente with a structural team,” comments Bram Nauta, IC Design professor at the University of Twente and member of the Chiptech Twente core team.