SEMI joins ReSiLient consortium to enhance Europe’s silicon and SiC supply chains

SEMI, the global association representing the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing supply chain, has joined the ReSiLient consortium to help strengthen Europe's semiconductor ecosystem and global supply chain resilience. Launching in 2026, the project focuses on addressing Europe's heavy reliance on imported silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) raw materials. Within the project, SEMI Europe will lead Work Package 8 (WP8), covering social acceptance, dissemination, communication, and standardization. Funded through the EU's Horizon Europe program (Grant Agreement No. 101294649), ReSiLient short for Innovative Primary Substitution and Secondary Valorisation Routes for Europe's Silicon and Silicon Carbide Semiconductor Raw Material Value Chains  is a four-year, €9.57 million Innovation Action involving 18 partners across 9 European countries.

Laith Altimime, President of SEMI Europe, described securing Europe's silicon and silicon carbide supply as a strategic industrial priority rather than just a materials issue. He noted that ReSiLient targets the raw-material bottlenecks underlying Europe's semiconductor and power-device sectors, and that SEMI Europe aims to help industry stakeholders translate the project's findings into practical action, ultimately reinforcing Europe's semiconductor competitiveness and global standing.

The project centers on four main goals. First, it aims to strengthen supply chain resilience by mapping dependencies across the Si and SiC value chains, testing alternative domestic and secondary raw material sources such as olivine, aplite, and silicon-rich industrial waste, and aligning new production methods with EU policies including the Critical Raw Materials Act, European Chips Act, Net-Zero Industry Act, and Emissions Trading System. Second, it seeks to scale up sustainable production by building and testing two production pathways — one based on domestic minerals and another on industrial by-products and waste using techniques such as hydrometallurgical leaching, agglomeration, hydrogen plasma refining, and carbothermic conversion to produce metallurgical-grade silicon and high-purity silicon carbide at pilot scale. Third, the project focuses on validating semiconductor-grade quality by testing the purity and performance of the silicon and silicon carbide produced for actual semiconductor use, including Czochralski crystal growth and SiC boule production, with results benchmarked against commercial materials by end users STMicroelectronics Silicon Carbide AB and Infineon Technologies. Finally, it addresses competitiveness and commercial viability by comparing both new production routes against traditional methods on cost, carbon footprint, and supply security, while developing clear paths to commercialization, intellectual property strategies, and regulatory compliance for scaling up.


The consortium spans the full microelectronics value chain and includes Sintef, Luxchemtech GmbH, Fiven Norge, Bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH, Ethnicon, Metsovion Polytechnion, Steinsvik Olivine AS, Konlechner David, Wacker Chemie AG, SEMI Europe GmbH, L'urederra, Fundacion Para El Desarrollo Tecnológico, STMicroelectronics Silicon Carbide AB, Infineon Technologies AG, ChemConserve BV, Topsil GlobalWafers AS, MEMC Electronic Materials SpA, SCR-Sibelco NV, Infineon Technologies Dresden AG & Co. KG, and UVR-FIA Verfahrensentwicklung Umweltschutz. As lead of WP8, SEMI Europe will engage stakeholders across at least 10 European member states, coordinate communication activities tied to major industry events such as SEMICON Europa, help develop industry standards, and chair the project's external Technical Advisory Group.