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The EU’s Chips Act is a huge disappointmentFor two years we’ve been hearing about how the EU is going to be a major player in the semiconductor industry again, only to find out that the financial backing of the plans falls woefully short. |
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Inphocal has its focus on the laser processing marketWith its optical system, Inphocal can take focused laser beams beyond their current limitations. The HightechXL startup expects the novel laser beams to reach the market already this year. |
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A plastic stronger than steelThe elusive two-dimensional polymer proves to be every bit as strong as everyone thought it would be. |
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“The Dutch way of co-engineering is unique in the world”Last November, he received the 2021 ASPE Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE). Jan van Eijk looks back at how he gained a foothold in the US with Dutch knowledge and know-how. |
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European Commission launches €45B chip pushThe European Chips Act aims to support local R&D efforts and relax state-aid rules for funding semiconductor manufacturing facilities. |
In other news |
| Europe’s digital future needs the private sector (Politico) |
| Intel buys Israel’s Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B (The Verge) |
| AMD’s market cap surpasses Intel for the first time in history (Tom’s Hardware) |
| Soros placed $2B loser bet on potential Nedcar partner Rivian (Cleantechnica) |
| VW warns of output cuts in Wolfsburg amid tensions over EV shift (Bloomberg) |
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Rethinking reshoringEurope’s industrial sovereignty ambitions should extend beyond chips, argues Anton Duisterwinkel. Reshoring is easier said than done, though. |
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Platform lesson #8: Instrument your platform for data-driven decisionsAs platform instrumentation tends to not be in focus, we easily end up in a situation where many decisions need to be made based on opinions, rather than data, which of course leads to lower-quality decision-making. |