Semiconduttori, la Sicilia punta all’alleanza europea

Sicily aims to strengthen its role within Europe's semiconductor sector by seeking membership in the European Semiconductor Regions Alliance (Esra). The regional administration of productive activities has formalized the request for Esra membership, moving beyond the formal recognition of the Catania district. The goal is to become part of a network that includes some of the most important European semiconductor ecosystems and actively participate in defining community policies on chips, skills, and technological sovereignty.

Edy Tamajo, the regional deputy for productive activities, stated, "Sicily does not want to be merely a recipient of major European industrial policies, but a protagonist in their construction. We have one of Europe's most important microelectronics ecosystems in Catania, and today we want to put this industrial, scientific, and expertise heritage in network with the most advanced regions."

The main asset of Sicilian candidacy is the STMicroelectronics plant in Catania and, specifically, the Campus SiC project aimed at developing a new integrated facility for wide-bandgap power devices. This strategic technology is used in applications ranging from electric mobility to renewable energies and network infrastructures, where wide-bandgap semiconductors are becoming increasingly significant.

The Catania program is supported by an agreement between the Sicilian Region, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Invitalia, and STMicroelectronics, with a total public co-financing of around 2 billion euros. Up to 300 million can come from the Pr Fesr Sicilia 2021-2027 through the Step priority, a European tool aimed at developing strategic technologies.

For the region, this represents one of the main axes of its high-tech industrial policy strategy. "The investment in silicon carbide demonstrates that it is possible to achieve high-tech industrial policy in Sicily," Tamajo emphasized.

The challenge now is to transform these major projects into an increasingly strong supply chain capable of involving companies, universities, and research centers. The key lies in ensuring that the large investments already underway contribute to strengthening an ecosystem where production, research, and skills can grow together.

The pilot line Microchip PL4-WBG in Catania, one of four pilot lines approved under the European Chips Act, is dedicated to wide-bandgap power and radiofrequency semiconductors, with CNR as the coordinator. The agreement involves the Sicilian Region and the City of Catania. The simultaneous presence of industrial production capacity, research, and scientific infrastructure is the element on which the region is counting to present Catania as a European microelectronics ecosystem, not just as the site of a major investment.