IC-Link selected as a European Design Enablement Team (DET) under EuroCDP

What does it take to turn a bold idea into a breakthrough innovation? The right mix of creativity and cutting-edge technology.

Those ingredients don’t always meet. Typically, start-ups are rich in original ideas. But they struggle to get access to the resources required to realize them, such as chip design and foundry access.

Those ingredients don’t always meet. Typically, start-ups are rich in original ideas. But they struggle to get access to the resources required to realize them, such as chip design and foundry access.

That’s why the selection of IC-Link as a Design Enablement Team (DET), as part of the European Chip Design Platform (EuroCDP), promises to be a game changer.

As the only DET that is a TSMC Value Chain Alliance (VCA) member, and which offers access to European pilot lines and imec integrated photonic PDKs, IC-Link will play a crucial role in turning promising concepts into manufacturable reality – setting the stage for faster, more impactful innovation across Europe.

Funded access to advanced chip manufacturing

DETs are a cornerstone of the European Chips Act’s ambition to strengthen European digital sovereignty by expanding secure, EU-based capacities:

• Lowering barriers for SMEs and start-ups to adopt advanced technologies.
• Developing advanced digital skills and making specialized knowhow available to European innovators.
• Supporting open strategic autonomy and resilient supply chains.

They provide start-ups and SMEs with access to manufacturing platforms that would otherwise be out of reach, through hands-on technical support, design expertise, and funding. The EU has earmarked 220 million euros for this initiative, which is expected to be matched by the member states.

This will result in co-funding models that are very attractive to start-ups and SMEs. Projects can be jointly financed with:

• 35% from the European Commission
• 35% from EU member states
• 30% from the start-up

The total amount per project can go up to 22.86 million euros, including 16 million euros in grants. This can be used for all stages of chip development: design (including EDA licenses and IP), DET support, cloud, test, packaging, assembly, qualification, and production.

In short, DETs offer start-ups a fast track to realizing their crucial first chip prototypes.

IC-Link’s unique position

From its position as a leading organization for manufacturing customized solutions for innovative chip manufacturing, leveraging the expertise and ecosystem of imec, IC-Link will now integrate its validated design flow into the platform. It will offer start-ups a secure, unified gateway to:

• A network of foundry partners such as UMC, X-FAB, Silterra, Pragmatic and onsemi. Crucially, IC-Link is the only DET that’s also a TSMC Value Chain Alliance (VCA) member, which is essential for the most advanced CMOS nodes.
• Exploratory PDKs from European pilot lines including NanoIC, SPINS, and 2DPL.
• Imec’s state-of-the-art PDKs and foundry access for silicon photonics manufacturing.
• A secure cloud-based design environment.

Are you a start-up looking for funded access to manufacturing services in CMOS, photonics, or GaN? Click the contact button below to set up a meeting with our team.