07.04.2025

The Czech Republic has taken a strategic step to strengthen its position in the semiconductor sector. The newly established Czech Semiconductor Centre (CSC) will connect academia with industry, support innovation and facilitate chip development for small and start-up companies. It will offer mentoring, financial advice and access to pilot lines, thus contributing to the development of the semiconductor ecosystem in the Czech Republic. At the same time, it will become part of the European network of centres that aim to strengthen Europe's technological self-sufficiency.

This is a key step for both the Czech and European semiconductor sectors. The establishment of the center fulfills the objectives of the National Semiconductor Strategy, which was created with the aim of strengthening both European and Czech self-sufficiency in the field of chips, under the leadership of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in cooperation with the Office of the Government and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. One of its goals is specifically the establishment of a national competence center and an increase in the number of specialists, both of which the CSC will significantly support. The implementation of the CSC is also supported by the European initiative "Chips for Europe", which aims to strengthen technological capacities and support innovation in the design and production of advanced chips, thus contributing to achieving the goals set for the entire EU in the European Chips Act.

“The establishment of the Czech Semiconductor Center is a strategic step for the future of our country. It is a key project that will help the Czech Republic maintain its competitiveness, as well as security and technological sovereignty at a time when these values ​​are being fought over globally. Thanks to this, the Czech Republic has all the prerequisites to play in the European league in this key sector,” said Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

“The establishment of the Czech Semiconductor Center is the result of systematic efforts by the members of the founding consortium, which lasted more than a year and a half. During this time, it was necessary to carefully profile the center’s focus on areas in which the Czech semiconductor industry has the potential to truly compete successfully not only on a European but also on a global scale. We managed to focus, connect and align the interests of everyone involved in the semiconductor industry in the Czech Republic on the platform of the National Semiconductor Cluster. Be it industry, state administration, regions or universities, which have a difficult task – to ensure sufficient personnel capacities for the Czech semiconductor industry through their graduates, which BUT is working hard on, for example by opening specialized study programs,” said Ladislav Janíček, Rector of Brno University of Technology.

It was BUT, for which semiconductors are an important strategic area, that coordinated the preparation of the Czech Semiconductor Center and will also be its headquarters for some time. “I greatly appreciate the constructive cooperation between the members of the consortium that accompanied the birth of the center, as well as the support that the intention to create the center received from political representatives, but also from the regions – especially the South Moravian Region. I am very pleased that the concept of the center, which we are ceremonially opening today, is not just an ordinary compromise, but a true reflection of the professional potential and competencies that we have in our country in the semiconductor field. That is why the center has a real opportunity to contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the Czech economy in this sector and to support the fulfillment of the goals of the newly adopted National Semiconductor Strategy. It was created in parallel with the preparation of the center with significant contributions from the members of its founding consortium. I would like our country to succeed in implementing projects based primarily on expertise and competencies on its path to an economy with added value, built on knowledge and innovation. Just as, I believe, it was achieved in the case of the Czech Semiconductor Center,” added Ladislav Janíček.

The Czech Semiconductor Center is a six-member consortium, which includes the two largest Czech technical universities – BUT and CTU, onsemi and Codasip, the National Semiconductor Cluster (CNSC) and the JIC innovation agency. The center is financed for the first four years of its operation by the European initiative Chips for Europe and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. The center involves the Czech Republic in the emerging European network of competence centers. Similar competence centers will be established in all EU member states and will play a key role in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of semiconductor technologies. The Czech Semiconductor Center will actively cooperate with other European competence centers, which is also confirmed by the Joint Declaration on Competence Centers for Semiconductors, issued by the Silicon Europe Alliance.

The Competence Center will provide qualified services according to the requirements of Chips for Europe in the field of chip design, especially for start-ups and small companies. It will provide private companies with mentoring, financial advice, access to pilot lines and a pan-European design platform. This will enable companies to develop new products faster and cheaper, and facilitate testing and small-scale production. Another key task of the center is to provide qualified workers for the semiconductor sector. The center will therefore focus on expanding and improving the offer of education in the field of chip design and production, deepening cooperation between universities and private companies, supporting talents and attracting new students to microelectronics and related fields. In this area, the center will cooperate closely with BUT and CTU, whose role is primarily to provide education in the field of semiconductors and chip design in order to fundamentally strengthen the human resource capacities of the semiconductor industry in the Czech Republic.

The specific focus of the center is based on the existing specialization of the main players in the semiconductor industry in the Czech Republic, and its profile reflects primarily the unique position of onsemi, the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the Czech Republic, and Codasip, a leading creator of semiconductor design applications. "At onsemi, we realize that deepening cooperation between the industry and schools and research institutions not only makes sense, but is literally a necessity in today's modern world. Young people need to be shown that technology and innovation are the engine of further development in the Czech Republic, and to offer them high-quality technical education, which is the best investment in their own future. We have been working closely with universities for decades and continue to be ready to support their further development to the fullest, for example by involving our experts in the preparation of new study fields and in the teaching itself," said Aleš Cáb, vice president of onsemi. "With the growing global demand for semiconductors, the European Union must take a leading position in this key sector to ensure technological sovereignty, economic growth and national security. By investing in research, development and partnerships, the Czech Republic can contribute to reducing dependence on external suppliers and set the global standard for innovation. As a leading supplier of RISC-V (editor's note: an open standard for processor design), Codasip will strongly contribute to the success of the center," added Karel Masařík, founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Codasip, who was also selected as the director of the center.

Source: https://www.vut.cz/vut/aktuality-f19528/v-brne-zahajilo-cinnost-ceske-polovodicove-centrum-d286646