imec opens NanoIC pilot line to drive innovation in sub-2 nm SoC

12 Feb 2026

Supporting aims of EU’s Chips Act and located in a 2,000 sqm cleanroom expansion at Leuven.

imec – the Belgium-based R&D center for advanced semiconductor technologies – has opened a 2,000 m² cleanroom expansion at its Leuven headquarters, marking a “milestone” in the deployment of Europe’s NanoIC pilot line.

The launch event was attended by European EVP Henna Virkkunen, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele, and ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet, alongside representatives from the European high-tech ecosystem – including industry and startups – the NanoIC pilot line consortium, and policymakers from the EU, Belgium, and Flanders.

With a capacity of over 12,000 m², imec’s cleanroom plays a key role in the European Chips Act’s aims to position Europe at the forefront of next-generation semiconductor innovation and manufacturing.

“Since announcing in May 2024 that imec would host the NanoIC pilot line, we’ve moved at full speed – accelerating tool acquisition and launching a comprehensive recruitment program. Today, that effort culminates in the inauguration of a 2,000 m² cleanroom extension at the imec premises. It will house a best-in-class toolset, including ASML’s High NA EUV scanner that is scheduled to arrive mid-March, 2026,” said Luc Van den hove, CEO of imec.

“imec researchers are working here side by side with IDMs, foundries, equipment and materials suppliers, system companies, start-ups, universities, and fellow European RTOs. Together, we have embarked on an ambitious journey to push semiconductor technologies beyond the 2 nm node. The NanoIC pilot line will play a crucial role in strengthening Europe’s industrial fabric in the AI era,” he added.

‘European leadership’

With strong backing from the European, Belgian, and Flemish governments – and a robust network of industry partners – imec will soon begin construction of a whole new 4,000 m² cleanroom at its Leuven campus, another key asset to bring Europe’s NanoIC initiative to full cruising speed. Over the next five years, the NanoIC pilot line will integrate more than a hundred new tools, distributed across imec and partner sites at CEA-Leti (France), Fraunhofer (Germany), VTT (Finland), CSSNT-UPB (Romania), and Tyndall National Institute (Ireland).

“We don't have the luxury of being the biggest or the strongest, but we do have the choice to be the best,” said Matthias Diependaele, Flemish Minister-President. “imec brings together talent, knowledge, and international collaboration. With the NanoIC pilot line, Europe is making that choice a reality: for technological excellence and strategic independence.”

Christophe Fouquet, President and CEO of ASML, commented, “We are making a step forward in strengthening the chip technology ecosystem in Europe to serve our customers, the world’s chipmakers. We are today inaugurating the NanoIC pilot line, that includes ASML’s High NA EUV system and which is the best example of what we can do when worldwide leaders in technology partner to bring together their latest technology and talent.”

The acquisition and operation of the NanoIC pilot line are jointly funded by the Chips Joint Undertaking, through the European Union’s Digital Europe (101183266) and Horizon Europe programs (101183277), as well as by the participating states Belgium (Flanders), France, Germany, Finland, Ireland and Romania.