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What Is the EU NanoIC Pilot Line at imec Leuven, and How Will It Speed Up Sub‑2nm Chip R&D in 2026?
NanoIC in one line
NanoIC is the EU Chips Act’s largest pilot production line, inaugurated at imec in Leuven, built to move beyond‑2nm semiconductor technology from research into pre‑industrial manufacturing using advanced EUV lithography.
What the EU just launched (and why it matters)
The European Union inaugurated NanoIC at imec Leuven on 9 February 2026 as a milestone under the European Chips Act and the “Chips for Europe” effort.
Its purpose is to accelerate development and commercialization of beyond‑2nm system‑on‑chip technologies that underpin future compute and connectivity needs (including AI-oriented compute).
The facility is positioned as a bridge from “lab to fab,” reducing risk by letting teams validate equipment, process steps, and modules at pilot scale before committing to full production.
Core capabilities: beyond‑2nm and EUV
NanoIC targets chip innovation “beyond‑2nm” (often discussed alongside sub‑2nm ambitions) and is designed around state‑of‑the‑art tools, including EUV lithography in Europe’s pilot-line context.
The project is described as enabling advanced research and development across materials, process steps, and modules—practical work needed to turn leading-edge concepts into manufacturable flows.
Access model and who it’s for
NanoIC is framed as “low-barrier” and open access, intended for startups, researchers, SMEs, and larger organizations that need high-end infrastructure without building it alone.
It is hosted by imec and set up as a pan-European collaboration to broaden participation across the region’s semiconductor ecosystem.
Investment and funding (numbers that get repeated)
Total investment is reported at €2.5 billion, with figures cited publicly that include €700 million from EU funding and additional national/regional support, plus major industrial contributions.
Reporting also summarizes the funding mix as a combination of public funding and private contributions, with industry leaders contributing a large share.