DECISION is proud to be part of the EU System-driven Semiconductor Initiative (ESSI), a think tank uniting European semiconductor and system industry experts to drive high-impact actions that enhance Europe’s semiconductor value creation. As a recognized European leader in market research for the electronics industry, DECISION contributes deep industry insights, an extensive semiconductor database, and a vast industry network. Through our contribution, we aim to support ESSI’s mission of strengthening Europe’s position in semiconductors.

At SEMICON EUROPA 2024, DECISION had the privilege of presenting an in-depth analysis entitled ‘The impact of geopolitical tensions on the semiconductor industry: challenges and prospects’. In front of an audience of over 100 participants, this presentation laid the foundations for an expert debate on the geopolitics of chips, with Frédérique Le Grevès (President, STMicroelectronics France), Gustav Kalbe (Acting Director of Enabling and emerging technologies, DG CNECT, European Commission), Virginia Kent (CHIPS Act, ITSI Senior Coordinator, U.S. Department of State) and Joris Teer (Associate Analyst Economic Security and Technology, EU Institute for Security Studies).

DECISION will be presenting a comprehensive analysis on the global geopolitical landscape’s impact on the semiconductor industry at Semicon Europa on November 12th. This session will explore how export control regulations have shaped the sector, along with the EU’s evolving industrial policy and strategic roadmap to address dependencies and opportunities for growth.

DECISION participated in the IPC Brussels meeting in June 2024, alongside 50 industry leaders representing PCB, EMS, OEM, and supply companies, to present the results of the report ‘Securing the European Union’s Electronic Ecosystem.’ This report provides valuable insights into the electronics manufacturing industry, highlighting the challenges and opportunities the EU is facing.

DECISION was at the workshop on the challenges in advanced computing and functionalities in Athens on May 13-14th. DECISION presented the final results of the economic analysis of the semiconductor industry in different regions of the world carried out within the ICOS framework. The agenda included: sessions dedicated to the skills shortage in electronics, the first public presentations of the ICOS results and international sessions with renowned speakers from Japan, the USA and India.

The official website of the European Chip Skills Academy, a successor to the METIS project in which DECISION Etudes & Conseil is participating as a partner, was officialy launched in early february 2024. This project will assist in supporting skills development in Europe by supporting summer schools and internships and expanding teaching opportunities across the continent for professors.

The METIS project has reached its successful conclusion, with the publication of the comprehensive 2023 Yearly Monitoring Report carried out by DECISION. This report unveils key insights and recommendations that are set to shape the future trajectory of Europe’s microelectronics industry.

DECISION Etudes & Conseil completed a study in 2023 for the DG CONNECT, evaluating the economic benefits and environmental impacts of adopting Far Edge Computing in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector. The study provides insights into how this technological shift could influence the future of IoT.

On the 25th of April, DECISION Etudes & Conseil presented its study “Open-Services Cloud: Unlock Cloud Interoperability to Foster the EU Digital Market” at the Eclipse event in Brussels.

This study assesses through a modelling approach the potential of reaching real cloud data and services interoperability through Open-Services Cloud to foster the growth of the EU digital market over the 2025-2030 period.

Prior to the beginning of the European Chip Skill Academy, the second phase of the Microelectronics Training, Industry and Skills (METIS) consortium. DECISION is participating in the consortium alongside major players  such as Infineon, Imec, AENEAS, SEMI, etc.

The ECS Academy is an initiative aimed at addressing skill and talent shortages in the electronics industry to support the European ecosystem.

At ISS Europe 2023 in Vienna in February, DECISION made a presentation and participated in a roundtable on “Skills Needs of the European Microelectronics Industry (METIS Project): Current Situation, Shortage and Recommendations”.

Horizon Europe project ICOS « International Co operation on Semiconductors » has been officially launched on January 19, 2023 in Brussels.

DECISION leads the work package “Economic analysis of the semiconductor ecosystem” within ICOS.

In December 2022, DECISION participated in a workshop held in Brussels by the European Commission to support the European Chips Act and address challenges and future opportunities for developing skills critical to Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem.

DECISION presented the key findings of its report on “Skills needs of the European microelectronics industry”, achieved in the context of the METIS project. The report can be found here and points to a worsening of the talent shortage in Europe since 2020.

In December 2022, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) published the “Study on Communication Services for Businesses in Europe: Status Quo and Future Trends” carried out by DECISION and Kantar.

In May 2022, the Commission published its working document on the EU Chips Act. DECISION Etudes & Conseil is the most cited market study firm in this document.

In 2022, DECISION Etudes & Conseil has been granted by the European Commission DG CONNECT to carry out the study on “The Economic Potential of Far Edge Computing in the Future Smart Internet of Things” (CNECT/2021/OP/0026).

On February the 8th 2022, the Commission proposed the European Chips Act: a comprehensive set of measures to ensure the EU’s security of supply, resilience and technological leadership in semiconductor technologies and applications. The communication of the EC mentions figures and a study from DECISION Etudes & Conseil.

The report “Digital Directions, Greener Connections: An Industrial Policy Report on European Electronics Manufacturing”, written by DECISION in partnership with IPC, was released in April 2021

On April 20, 2021, DECISION presented the strategy to face the employment and skills challenges of the European microelectronics industry at the SEMI Europe Industrial Strategy Symposium.

This strategy was developed in 2020 as part of the METIS project (MicroElectronics Training, Industry and Skills), a skills alliance co-financed by Erasmus+ and bringing together 19 partners from 14 different European countries (Infineon, Bosch, X-FAB, IMEC, etc.).

METIS will result in the construction of the first common European training platform in the microelectronics sector, allowing employers, universities and students to be connected from one region to another.

The report “Electronic components and systems: markets, objectives, challenges and required achievements for the European digital age “, written by ECS-SRIA, AENEAS, ARTEMIS, and EPoSS, has been published. It was co-written with DECISION Etudes & Conseil.

On November 11, Commissioners Schmit and Breton officially launched the European Pact for Skills, a central element of the skills strategy in Europe. This pact has three components corresponding to key industrial ecosystems: automotive manufacturing, microelectronics and the aerospace and defense industry.

Microelectronics Pact initiatives are expected to attract € 2 billion in public and private investment to train more than 250,000 workers and students in the electronics sector in Europe between 2021 and 2025.

DECISION is part of the METIS project and of the grouping of organizations that endorse and support the European Microelectronics Skills Pact since its inception, notably alongside SEMI and industry leaders in Europe (Bosch, Infineon, ASML, XFab, etc.).

On November the 25th, DECISION spoke at the EFECS roundtable on “The COVID-19 crisis and emerging opportunities”, with Dr. Lucilla Sioli (Director for “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Industry” within DG CONNECT), Michael Wiesmüller (Austrian Federal Ministry), Lars Reger (CTO of NXP) and other participants.

The report “Rethinking Strategic Autonomy in the Digital Age”, released in November 2020 by the European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC), uses figures and expertise from DECISION Études & Conseil.

The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda 2021 for Electronic Components and Systems (ECS SRIA 2021) has been released in November 2020 and use figures and expertise from DECISION Études & Conseil. The three industry associations AENEAS, ARTEMIS-IA and EPoSS have joined forces to federate actors along the entire value chain to produce this SRIA while gathering more than 250 experts from across Europe.

The German Federal Government’s Framework Program for Research and Innovation 2021-2024 (BMBF), published in November 2020, use figures and expertise from DECISION Études & Conseil.

The study “Emerging technologies in electronic components and systems (ECS) – Opportunities ahead (SMART 2018-0005)”, carried out by DECISION for the European Commission (DG CONNECT) in 2019, has been made public.

The Observatory of the French Industrial Security Sector, carried out by DECISION for the French Strategic Sector Committee (CSF) of the security industries in 2020, has been made public.

In the context of the METIS project, co-led by DECISION Etudes & Conseil, we are pleased to share with you the article by Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner Jobs and Social Rights:

“Towards Closing the Skills Gaps in the European Microelectronics Industry appreciating and endorsing the METIS project, inviting us to keep up the work”

Launched in late 2019, the METIS project aims at addressing the shortcomings in microelectronics education, skills and employability, paving the way for EU leadership in data driven technologies through permanent anticipation of skills and competences, developing and delivering joined innovative training programmes.

DECISION is part of the METIS consortium (MicroElectronics Training, Industry and Skills)

Launched in late 2019, the METIS project aims at addressing the shortcomings in microelectronics education, skills and employability, paving the way for EU leadership in data driven technologies through permanent anticipation of skills and competences, developing and delivering joined innovative training programmes.

The project is a consortium of 20 partners from 14 countries and brings together very big companies such as Infineon, Bosch, X-FAB as well world-class R&D hubs such as imec. It is expected to build a common training platform across the EU in the microelectronics sector. This will address an important gap as the EU microelectronics sector is a cluster-driven sector and there was a lack of a common pan-European platform to connect employers and universities and learners across regions.

On November the 20th 2019, in Helsinki, DECISION has presented the results of its study on the emerging technologies impacting the world electronic value, carried out for the European Commission DG CONNECT.

The presentation took place from 12:40 to 13:20 at the speakers corner.

The presentation focused on 3 points:

– A state of play of the world electronics industry, the position of the EU and the perspective up to 2023 by end-user market (automobiles, phones, PCs, etc.)

– What are the main emerging technologies in electronic components and systems? What are the opportunities for the EU?

– The growth opportunities in embedded & professional applications over the coming decade is an opportunity for the EU thanks to its strengths in these domains. Yet, there are five applications with a growing importance in embedded & professional sectors where the EU might suffer from weaknesses : Embedded software, data management & analysis, high-processing capabilities components (More Moore, edge AI, etc.), automotive batteries and to a lesser extent communication networks (5G and IoT networks).

The “Strategic Contract of the French Electronics Industry 2018-2022”, which was signed by Bruno Le Maire and the entire profession in March 2019, integrates DECISION’s figures on the global electronic value chain.