New SEMI Europe-Led Consortium Launches to Boost Diversity in the Chip Industry
BERLIN, Germany — SEMI , the industry association serving the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, today announced the launch of a consortium organized by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme to enhance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the European microelectronics sector. SEMI Europe and the new 11-partner European Chips Diversity Alliance (ECDA) consortium will develop an innovative and robust partnership between academia and industry to lower barriers to joining the microelectronics workforce for underrepresented groups, with the goal of growing the competitiveness of Europe’s broader electronics industry.
ECDA will support the EU Chips Act to address microelectronics industry’s skills shortage, attract new talent, and support the emergence of a trained workforce to enhance Europe’s technological advancement. A €1.5 million grant provided will fund the alliance for three years.
“The European Chips Diversity Alliance is a momentous endeavor with participation not only from companies, but also academia and social organizations to propel our industry forward.”, said Laith Altimime, President of SEMI Europe.
ECDA aims to formalize DEI as a key tenet of the Pact fоr Skills and put it at the heart of economic, educational, and industrial policies for Europe. ECDA seeks to boost innovation through multidisciplinary, learner-centered curricula on DEI for the microelectronics sector.
“The European semiconductor industry will need to grow its workforce to reach manufacturing capacity expansion targets and seize innovation and market opportunities,” said Cassandra Melvin, Senior Director of Business Development and Operations at SEMI Europe. “ECDA will be a key link to eliminate biases and promote a skilled workforce that is inclusive and reflective of the world we live in.”
The European Chips Diversity Alliance consortium consists of the following organizations:
- SEMI Europe – Germany
- Comenius University – Slovakia
- Comet Yxlon – Germany
- ESCP – Germany
- EudaOrg – Ireland
- Innovazione Apprendimento Lavoro Friuli Venezia Giulia (IAL-FVG) – Italy
- Learnovate – Ireland
- Merck – Germany
- MIDAS – Ireland
- Platform Talent voor Technologie (PTVT) – Netherlands
- X-FAB – France
The consortium will release a report on the current state of DEI in the European microelectronics industry later this year.
Visit SEMI Global Advocacy to learn more about public policy developments, and SEMI Workforce Development and SEMI Europe DEIB initiatives for more information on efforts to address the microelectronics industry’s talent needs.
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Visit the ECDA website and follow the project on LinkedIn (@ECDA) to stay updated on new initiatives.
