{
  "id": 11447013,
  "title": "Inside Soitec, the French tech company powering the global semiconductor industry",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/inside-soitec-the-french-tech-company-powering-the-global",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-02T13:00:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/02/inside-soitec-the-french-tech-company-powering-the-global-semiconductor-industry"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the Grésivaudan Valley near Grenoble, often referred to as the \"Silicon Valley of the Alps,\" millions of intricate silicon wafers are manufactured yearly. The production of these advanced substrates is the domain of Soitec, a French company that, despite its modest public recognition, is a global leader in semiconductor technology. Established 33 years ago, the company originated from an invention conceived at the French research institution CEA-Leti, with its initial workforce comprising fewer than a dozen individuals. Today, Soitec employs over 2,000 people and boasts more than 4,700 active patents globally, with manufacturing sites in France and Singapore.\n\nChristophe Maleville, Soitec's Chief Technology Officer, emphasizes that the company's heritage is French, yet its influence spans the globe. The primary objective is to consistently outpace competitors. Soitec specializes in advanced substrates, a sophisticated silicon wafer that serves as the foundational material for constructing the world's most powerful microchips. This technology is ubiquitous, found in mobile phones, connected devices, automobiles, household appliances, and data centers.\n\nCyril Menon, Soitec's Chief Operations Officer, attributes the company's dominance to Grenoble's rich ecosystem of research laboratories, universities, and industrial entities. The production process involves wafer processing through 30 to 50 stages in highly controlled clean rooms, where extremely thin material layers are transferred from one substrate to another at the atomic scale. Annually, around six million advanced substrates exit Soitec's factories. Approximately 60% of its revenue stems from Asia, 30% from Europe, and the remaining 10% is derived from the United States.\n\nTo uphold a technological edge, Soitec invests 20% of its revenue in research and development. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence presents both opportunity and challenge, driving the demand for ever more powerful data centers while raising concerns about their energy and resource consumption. Soitec's photonics products aim to expedite information transfer while lowering energy usage, potentially contributing to the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence. However, the ethical implications of AI's application are a subject of ongoing debate. Menon underscores the importance of responsibly harnessing AI, considering its significant energy and resource consumption. For Soitec's executives, mastering these technologies is intrinsically linked to Europe's standing in the global semiconductor industry. They aspire to wield these advanced technologies to shape Europe's future and secure a prominent position at the industry table.",
  "summary": "From smartphones to data centres, the French company’s advanced silicon substrates underpin technologies used around the world. Valérie Gauriat went inside its production site in the French Alps.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}