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The EU Commission has approved Austrian state aid measures worth € 146.5 million for companies joining a joint research and innovation project in the field of microelectronics. With the support, additional private investments of 530 million euros will be mobilized, more than three and a half times the public contribution, according to a statement from the EU authority on Tuesday.
Specifically, Austria announced its planned participation in the so-called IPCEI (Major Project of Common European Interest) microelectronics in December 2020, providing public support totaling € 146.5 million for three companies – Infineon Austria, AT&S Austria and NXP Semiconductors Austria – to the Commission. For your approval. The IPCEI aims to strengthen strategically important key technologies in the EU in global competition.
According to the top 500 ranking of the business magazine trend, Infineon Austria was the most research-intensive industrial company in Austria in 2019. In fiscal 2020, 498 million euros were spent, about 16 percent of sales total, in research and development. 1,960 experts work at the Villach, Graz and Linz development centers on new solutions, technologies and innovations. Infineon Austria thus employs a quarter of the R&D workforce of the entire group.
“These companies should contribute to the objectives of the existing IPCEI through further research and innovation in the field of microelectronics,” the EU communication continued. It will mainly focus on safety, energy efficiency and the integration of packaging technology for microelectronics.
Infrastructure Minister Leonore Gewessler also supports the project: “Microelectronics can be found in almost every object that we need every day. We need innovative concepts and technologies in the fight against the climate crisis and are therefore of vital importance for European technology and business location. “(Apa / red)
