Semiconductors power everything from smartphones to medical devices, and Europe’s technological sovereignty depends on nurturing a new generation of skilled chip designers. As a proud SME partner in the RESCHIP4EU consortium, EA Consulting is committed to supporting education, communication, and dissemination activities that inspire the next wave of semiconductor professionals.
🔍 The Challenges EU is facing:
📉 Severe Skills Shortage: Europe faces a shortfall of over 75,000 technical roles, with critical gaps in hardware engineering (–52%) and technician positions (–31%).
🎓 STEM Pipeline Gap: Only 6% of STEM graduates are entering the semiconductor workforce.
🚫 Gender Imbalance: Women hold just 17% of tech roles, with even lower representation in engineering and leadership.
⚠️ Aging Workforce: About 20% of Europe’s semiconductor professionals are aged 55+, increasing the urgency for generational renewal.
🌍 Geopolitical Pressures: In 2023, Europe accounted for only 10% of global semiconductor production. The EU aims to reach 20% by 2030.
🎯 EU’s Response:
🏛️ European Chips Act: Strengthens the EU’s semiconductor ecosystem focused on workforce development.
👩💻 Training the Workforce: Initiatives like the METIS Project and European Chips Skills Academy (ECSA) are pivotal in closing the skills gap through targeted education.
💶 Strategic Investment: The Act is implemented via the Chips Joint Undertaking, pooling around €11B from EU funds, member states, and private partners to boost R&D and innovation.
Sources:
ECSA Skills Strategy 2024: https://tinyurl.com/5n94cymh
McKinsey: https://tinyurl.com/2nn26jn3
Deloitte: https://tinyurl.com/2bxhhfkn
European Parliament, Chips Act: https://tinyurl.com/2szs7rj7, https://tinyurl.com/3z5u2ap6
METIS Project: www.metis4skills.eu
European Chip Skills Academy: www.chipsacademy.eu
👥 About RESCHIP4EU:
Led by EIT Digital (www.eitdigital.eu), RESCHIP4EU brings together top academic and industry players to launch a tuition-free Master School that addresses the EU’s semiconductor skills gap.
The project contributes to the Chips Act’s goals by expanding Europe’s chip design talent pipeline, advancing technological sovereignty, and supporting the 2030 output target.
We’re proud to drive strategic education and outreach as the SME partner.
🔗 Learn more about RESCHIP4EU: https://www.eitdigital.eu/eu-collaborations/reschip4eu/consortium-members/
Project Number: 101158828 — RESCHIP4EU — DIGITAL-2023-SKILLS-04
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HADEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
