sustainability

The semiconductor industry is the bedrock of modern technology, enabling everything from AI and cloud computing to electric vehicles. Yet, this critical sector is also one of the most resource-intensive globally, with a substantial dependency on water. A single fabrication plant can demand up to 10 million gallons of water daily, comparable to the consumption of a city with 300,000 residents. Much of this water is, of course, reused and recycled through sophisticated systems. This immense water usage, particularly the requirement for ultrapure water for processes like cleaning and etching, makes consistent access to high-quality water a non-negotiable for operational reliability and business continuity. The new insights report "Ripple Effects: Water Risk and Resilience Across the Semiconductor Value Chain" provides the first global baseline of water risk hotspots for the semiconductor sector, assessing water risks across 140 facilities across 89 water basins to inform future risk mitigation strategies.The analysis discusses how water risk can manifest itself as a financially material impact on business continuity by triggering idle time, recovery costs, and cascading delivery delays across global supply chains. S P Global projects that by 2050, water-related risks could cost the world's largest IT companies up to $24 billion annually. Crucially, the study identified flooding and reputational risks—such as strained relationships with local communities over water allocation—as the most significant immediate threats to the semiconductor value chain. These concerns are most acute in major hubs like Taiwan, South Korea, and parts of the U.S.While the industry is frequently criticized for its water usage, only 16% of the analyzed sites are currently affected by water scarcity. However, this metric offers a false sense of security. As climate change intensifies, the frequency and severity of water-related disruptions are set to exceed the scope of existing contingency plans. The long-term projections show that over 40% of semiconductor facilities announced since 2021 are located in watersheds projected to face high or extremely high water stress between 2030 and 2040. This underscores the urgent need to integrate forward-looking risk modeling into new site planning to ensure long-term operational resilience.Effective risk management is significantly hindered by the limited transparency surrounding supplier-level water data. While many companies perform water assessments for their direct operations, a comprehensive, industry-wide approach to supplier data and risk management is lacking. CDP data shows that 1 in 5 companies reported $77 billion under threat from supply chain water risks, yet only half of those companies engage with their suppliers on these issues. For semiconductor end users, these risks are often deep within multi-tiered networks, requiring engagement that goes well beyond Tier 1 suppliers.To manage these complex risks, the report stresses the necessity of moving toward a contextual approach that includes localized assessments. Contextual water risks are inherently location-specific, dependent on local availability, quality, and infrastructure, as well as broader catchment-level dynamics, regulatory pressures, and community expectations. Several structured methodologies support this necessary shift from basic operational management to corporate water stewardship, including the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard, the TNFD's LEAP framework, and the Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTN). This approach encourages companies to look beyond their own operations to safeguard regional water security.Because water is a shared resource, collective action is essential to deliver the scale and urgency needed to tackle common challenges within catchments. The semiconductor value chain is deeply interconnected, with companies often sharing suppliers within the same water basins, creating a strategic opportunity for collaborative stewardship. The report encourages companies to scale their impact by moving beyond isolated efforts to form sector-wide and cross-sector partnerships—especially at the catchment level—through public-private engagement. This collaboration, which includes proactive engagement with policymakers and local utilities, is key to aligning on water management and stewardship practices to address shared water challenges and build collective trust.Innovation and technology must play a central role in advancing water stewardship across the value chain. A major hurdle is the general undervaluation and mispricing of water, which perpetuates systemic underinvestment in water-focused technology. Despite this, leading semiconductor companies are deploying advanced solutions such as onsite recycling systems, real-time water monitoring, and utilizing alternative sources like municipal wastewater. Embracing AI-driven systems for scenario modeling and catchment-level risk forecasting further enhances adaptive capacity and resilience.The "Ripple Effects" report makes it clear that water challenges affect every segment, demanding tailored response tactics and strategies. Foundries, with their large operational footprints, must prioritize sourcing reclaimed water and expanding onsite reuse, while chemical and materials suppliers must proactively manage rising regulatory risks around water quality contaminants. The insights report also provides a practical roadmap for advancing corporate water stewardship, outlining progression from water risk assessment (Stage 1) to site-level action and collective engagement (Stage 2), and culminating in transparent validation and reporting (Stage 3). By following a structured water stewardship pathway, the semiconductor industry can build operational resilience and ensure a responsible future for the entire value chain.To learn more, download the report or watch the webinar recording. Alua Suleimenova is Senior Program and Staff Manager | Global Sustainability at Marvell Technology and leader of SEMI's ERMR Working Group.The Environmental Risk Mitigation and Reporting (ERMR) Working Group was established under SEMI's Sustainability Initiatives in January 2023, and it aims to develop a baseline and roadmap of best practices for identifying, managing, governing and reporting climate, water, and biodiversity risks across the semiconductor value chain. This insights report is a publication in SEMI’s ERMR Working Group thought‑leadership series on global environmental risks and resilience.

At SEMICON Europa 2025, the Executive Forum programs brought together experts from across the semiconductor value chain to address two critical challenges shaping the industry’s future in Europe: the transformation of the automotive sector and the pursuit of smarter, more competitive manufacturing.Smart Mobility in a Changing MarketKnut Krümmel, Senior Partner Automotive at Porsche Consulting, set the tone with a stark question, “Are we facing a Detroit scenario in Europe, especially in Germany?” – a reference to the decline since the 1990s of the famous “Motor City.” He pointed out that all three of Germany’s giant OEMs, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, are rapidly losing market share in China in the face of a destructive price war, and have suffered large declines in reported earnings. Krümmel outlined four strategic imperatives for Europe’s auto industry: reduce complexity and increase standardization, become software-defined, design regulation that supports innovation, and build stronger partnerships across the ecosystem. He emphasized, “A new mindset is needed—people need to be hungry to win and prepared to suffer in pursuit of victory.”Knut Krümmel, Senior Partner Automotive, Porsche Consulting GmbHAndreas Aal, Head of Semiconductor Strategy at Volkswagen AG and Chair of Europe at SEMI Smart Mobility Global Automotive Advisory Council (GAAC), introduced a proactive approach to redefine the market. He shared Volkswagen’s vision for mobility-as-a-service, exemplified by its roboshuttle pilot in Hamburg. “It is very difficult for a traditional OEM to go into the full digital services world. But this is what we want to do,” said Aal.Andreas Aal, Semiconductor Strategy Volkswagen AG and Chair of Europe GAAC, VolkswagenJan-Philipp Gerhmann, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for Automotive at NXP Semiconductors, added that the traditional value chain is being upended. The industry is shifting from a hierarchical supply chain to vertical integration, with companies like Tesla designing their own chips. Gehrmann introduced NXP’s CoreRide platform, a modular “skateboard” architecture enabling plug-and-play Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and infotainment features for future vehicles.Jan-Philipp Gehrmann, Vice President of Marketing Strategy, NXPA perspective on the future of semiconductors in autonomous vehicles was provided by Dieter Hoffend, Business Director for Automotive at imec: “For autonomous vehicles, you need a higher-end compute capability, which needs a transition to smaller nodes – and that is very costly. In fact, semiconductor companies will not want to commit volume to automotive customers for their most expensive leading-edge ICs. This means that a chiplet architecture will be the most cost-effective approach for vehicles, and will provide the greatest supply chain resilience. To support this, imec’s vision is of an open chiplet marketplace of heterogeneous chiplets which are interoperable.”Dieter Hoffend, Business Director Automotive Sector, imecAchieving End-to-end Manufacturing ExcellenceThe Executive Forum then shifted to a discussion of smart semiconductor manufacturing. Giovanni Notarnicola, Partner at Porsche Consulting, highlighted the untapped potential of AI in fabs. “AI requires massive amounts of data—but fabs often don’t own or control their data. And second, AI talent doesn’t typically reside in semiconductor companies,” said Notarnicola. His recommendation: “AI is not an IT issue—it’s a cross-functional technology. Isolating AI in the IT department is an old-fashioned view which will deter AI talent from joining the industry.”And Notarnicola encouraged the industry to leverage the new white paper produced by SEMI End-to-End Smart Manufacturing Group, which provides an in-depth report on the application of AI in semiconductor fabrication. Giovanni Notarnicola, Partner, Porsche ConsultingOliver Aubel, Corporate Lead for Automotive Solutions at GlobalFoundries, echoed the opportunity. “We have 1 billion sensors in a fab, but 30% of the signals are statistical noise. AI could help us make better sense of the data.”Oliver Aubel, Corporate Lead for Automotive Solutions at GlobalFoundriesA session on smart manufacturing brought to light other proven methods for improving the performance of fabs. Dr. Holland Smith, Director of Data Science at INFICON, described fab control technology that INFICON had helped STMicroelectronics to deploy. As Thomas Gimmig, Director for Industry 4.0 at STMicroelectronics, said, “Our model was a highway control room – a place where a single person controls 220km of road monitored by 400 cameras, and handles one alert every three minutes on average. This is only possible with a huge amount of automation.”Left: Thomas Gimmig, Director for Industry 4.0 at STMicroelectronics; Right: Dr. Holland Smith, Director of Data Science at INFICONAt STMicroelectronics, the new fab control room mimics this model, automating anomaly detection and problem solving. Smith described how the system will not be limited to detecting and handling anomalies which have already occurred. “There is a plan to look ahead at problems which could emerge in future, and to configure it to make proactive suggestions which will prevent anomalies from occurring in the first place,” said Smith. Jamie Potter, co-founder and CEO of Flexciton, showcased how intelligent scheduling tools based on real-time fab capacity are transforming operations. “In the modern fab decisions must be made more frequently, with more intelligence and with fewer people. And that is why fabs need to be made more autonomous,” said Potter.Jamie Potter, CEO Cofounder, Flexciton Ltd“Our tool is based on a dynamic capacity model of the fab, so WIP optimization is based on knowledge of what the fab can actually do now, rather than – as is normally the case in fabs today – on an abstract algorithm which is derived from operational results observed in the past.” Potter said. Robert Wallace, Solutions Architect at Seagate, which has deployed the Flexciton technology, confirmed the impact: “We increased throughput without increasing cycle times, and saw a 30% drop in deviations from forecast completion times.” Robert Wallace, Solutions Architect at SeagateAntoine Amade, President (EMEA) of Entegris, emphasized the importance of benchmarking to guide performance improvements: “We have a robust library of fab case studies. These benchmarks can become the foundation for best practices.” Antoine Amade, President (EMEA) of EntegrisRegulatory Burdens and Regional Challenges In a panel session, the discussion turned to the issues that European semiconductor manufacturing faces in particular. Herbert Blaschitz, Executive Vice President of Advanced Technology Facilities at Exyte, put a strong emphasis on the drag that European regulation imposes on the construction of new fabrication plants: “There is three times more paperwork to complete in Europe than in Asia.” Blaschitz made the contrast with Taiwan, “where they have standard codes of regulation specifically for a wafer fab. In Europe, we have regulations for skyscrapers, we have regulations for building family homes. But we have nothing for wafer fabs.”It could be worse for companies building all new fabs. According to Stephen Rothrock, President and CEO of ATREG, “We are affected by permits and politics most of all when trying to push through the repurposing of fabs.”From Left to Right: Mark Puttock, Sr. Director - Technology and Innovation, Entegris; Giovanni Notarnicola, Partner, Porsche Consulting; Stephen Rothrock, President/CEO, ATREG; Jean-René Lèquepeys, Deputy Director and Chief Technology Officer, CEA-Leti; Herbert Blaschitz, Executive VP of Advanced Technology Facilities, Exyte; Oliver Aubel, Corporate Lead Automotive Solutions, GlobalFoundriesSustainable Manufacturing Practices: A Source of Competitive Advantage?The forum ended with a debate on the value of and problems with Europe’s commitment to sustainability. As Mark Puttock, Senior Director for Technology and Innovation at Entegris, acknowledged concerns that sustainability practices could raise costs and reduce process efficiency. But Jean-René Lèquepeys, Deputy Director and Chief Technology Officer at CEA-Leti, countered: “sustainability can be a competitive advantage. For instance, the industry is under pressure to eliminate PFAS from its processes. CEA-Leti is working on this problem, and the whole world is looking for a solution.”The event concluded with a moment of celebration: Ilya Zabelinsky, Co-founder of the International Subfab Research Labs (ISRL), won a diamond prize sponsored by Nanores Lab,Left: Jakub GawczyńskiJakub Gawczyński, Head of Nanores Lab; Right: Ilya Zabelinsky, Co-founder of the International Subfab Research Labs (ISRL)On behalf of SEMI, we extend our sincere gratitude to the speakers, sponsors, and participants who contributed their expertise and vision to the programs at SEMICON Europa 2025.SEMI ContactAna Bernardo, Senior Manager of Technology Programs SalesEmail: [email protected]

The GENESIS EU project is reshaping how Europe thinks about semiconductor manufacturing. Its goal is simple but ambitious: reduce usage of harmful chemicals from chip production, cut emissions and waste, and make the industry more circular and resilient.Launched on 1 May 2025, GENESIS – GENerate in Europe a Sustainable Industry for Semiconductor – is a research and innovation project co-funded by the European Union through Chips JU and its participating member states. In addition, Swiss partners are supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).Coordinated by CEA-Leti in Grenoble, GENESIS brings together 58 partners from across the semiconductor value chain: materials and chemistry suppliers, equipment manufacturers, semiconductor fabs, research and technology organisations (RTOs), universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), recycling specialists and communication experts. Together, they are working to build a resilient, circular and environmentally responsible microelectronics sector aligned with the European Green Deal and the European Chips Act.Mission and VisionGENESIS exists to future-proof the European semiconductor industry. The project focuses on:Eliminating or replacing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other hazardous substances used in manufacturing processes;Reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the production chain;Securing access to critical materials through smarter use, reuse and circular strategies;Deploying advanced monitoring and sensing solutions for gas and liquid environments in fabs.Six Work Packages, One Integrated ApproachTo reach its objectives, GENESIS is structured into six work packages.Work Package 1 – Management, Specifications, and MethodsLead: CEA-LetiWP1 keeps the project on track. It manages the technical, administrative and financial coordination of GENESIS and defines common specifications and methodologies. This includes setting technical recommendations and carrying out environmental impact assessments so that shared targets and consistent methods guide all subsequent work.Work Package 2 – Process, Monitoring Sensing Hardware and SolutionLead: CSEMWP2 develops real-time monitoring technologies capable of detecting and quantifying emissions from process gases such as NF₃, CF₄ or SF₆. By improving transparency and enabling process feedback, GENESIS contributes to the transition toward low-emission semiconductor fabs aligned with EU climate goals.Work Package 3 – Environmentally Friendly Materials AlternativesLead: imecWith global PFAS restrictions tightening, the semiconductor sector urgently needs high-performance, safe alternatives. GENESIS in WP3, is designing and qualifying materials for key manufacturing steps including lithography, etching, cleaning, deposition, and packaging, that reduce industry dependence on PFAS and higher GWP gases while ensuring compatibility with industry performance requirements.Work Package 4 – Minimisation of Waste and EmissionsLead: FraunhoferWP4 addresses the complexity of semiconductor waste streams and explores innovations to enhance abatement efficiency. GENESIS develops recycling, recovery, and closed-loop solutions for gases, slurries, and solvents, with the aim of significantly reducing waste across fabs.Work Package 5 – Materials Scarcity Impact MitigationLead: Università degli Studi di Roma Tor VergataEurope’s dependence on critical raw materials—including gallium, indium, and rare earth elements—represents both an environmental and strategic challenge. GENESIS in WP5 focuses on reducing CRM usage through process innovation and strengthening circularity to enhance supply chain resilience.Work Package 6 – Regulations, Dissemination, Communication and ExploitationLead: SEMI EuropeWP 6 is dedicated to ensuring that GENESIS creates meaningful and lasting impact beyond its technical achievements. It integrates regulatory monitoring, dissemination, communication, and exploitation activities to connect the project’s innovations with industry needs, European policy developments, and wider society. WP6 is coordinated by SEMI Europe, supported by expert partners across the consortium, and serves as the bridge between GENESIS’s scientific work and its real-world influence.Long-term strategyGENESIS is built with one goal in mind: making sure the work happening inside the project translates into real change across Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem. To support this, the project focuses on four key impact areas that help move ideas from research into industry, policy and long-term community engagement.Helping Industry Put Results to WorkA core part of GENESIS is understanding how each partner can use the project’s results in their own environment. Whether it’s new materials, smarter monitoring solutions or better waste-reduction approaches, partners define clear pathways for adoption so GENESIS innovations can move naturally into real industrial use.Staying Connected to Europe’s Policy AgendaSustainability and chemical regulations in Europe are evolving fast, and GENESIS stays close to these developments. The project brings technical insights to discussions around the Green Deal, PFAS regulation, and critical raw materials. This makes sure GENESIS is not only aligned with policy trends, but also contributes to shaping them.Making Knowledge Accessible and Future-FocusedOpen access is an essential part of GENESIS. The project shares its research outputs publicly and supports the creation of educational material for universities and training programmes. This helps the next generation of engineers and specialists build on GENESIS knowledge and carry it forward.Keeping GENESIS Visible and RelevantGENESIS maintains a strong presence across events, conferences, publications and expert discussions. This ongoing engagement ensures that project results remain visible, understood and connected to wider conversations on sustainable semiconductor manufacturing—helping extend the project’s influence well beyond its duration.Towards a Sustainable Semiconductor FutureGENESIS shows that high-performance chips and environmental responsibility can coexist. By uniting materials science, process engineering, monitoring technologies, environmental assessment and policy insight, GENESIS is helping define what responsible, future-ready semiconductor manufacturing will look like tomorrow.Jatin Mendiratta, Communications CoordinatorSEMI Europe Phone: +49 160 402 8899Email: [email protected]

The CxO Summit at SEMICON Europa 2025 spotlighted Europe’s ongoing efforts to build a resilient and globally competitive semiconductor industry, while calling for greater ambition, speed, and unity in execution. Following global disruptions with the automotive supply chain crisis, the European Union launched a continent-wide strategy through the EU Chips Act. While the Act has already spurred significant developments, including construction of the new ESMC fab in Dresden, Europe remains far from its goal of achieving a 20% share of global semiconductor production by 2030. The CxO Summit, part of the SEMICON Europa event in Munich, provided an opportunity for industry leaders to share ideas about how to catalyze the next phase of the European industry’s growth.Ajit Manocha, President and CEO of SEMI opened the summit by describing today’s industry landscape with one word: “unprecedented.” Manocha said, “The global growth of the industry is unprecedented, with 107 new fabs set to come online by 2028, but the uncertainties are unprecedented, from geopolitics to the talent shortage to environmental concerns. So we need unprecedented solutions.” Ajit Manocha, President and CEO, SEMILaith Altimime, President of SEMI Europe echoed the mood of uncertainty, describing Europe as caught “in a perfect storm.” Altimime said, “As we face a combination of internal challenges and intensifying external competition, collaboration is not optional — it is mission critical.” Laith Altimime, President, SEMI EuropePierre Chastenet, Head of the Unit for Microelectronics and Photonics, European Commission, highlighted the tangible progress made under the EU Chips Act. “We now have a proper toolbox to handle a future crisis in the supply chain. The Chips for Europe initiative has led to the creation of five pilot lines for advanced technologies such as FD-SOI and wide bandgap semiconductors.” Chastenet added, “Europe must now capitalize on its strengths, from materials and equipment to design tools and cutting-edge research emerging from our RTOs.”Pierre Chastanet, Head of the Unit for Microelectronics and Photonics, European CommissionEchoing the call for action, Oliver Schenk, Member of the European Parliament, urged stronger regional unity. “Europe must act together, act faster, and act with much bigger ambition,” Schenk said, reinforcing the need for cross-border commitment to strengthen the continent’s semiconductor position.Oliver Schenk, Member of the European Parliament, European ParliamentHighlighting Europe’s most critical technology gap, Luc Van den hove, President and CEO of imec, unveiled plans for a new advanced fab backed by €2.5 billion in investment from the EU, the Flemish government, and ASML. Van den hove urged Europe to commit wholeheartedly to advanced technologies: “We must be more ambitious, and focus on disruptive breakthroughs rather than incremental change if we want to ensure a prosperous future.”Luc Van den hove, President CEO, imecAt the CxO Summit, CEA-Leti and ASML signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen their collaboration and accelerate innovation in mainstream semiconductor technologies. Building on promising results in hybrid bonding, the partnership will now target 'More-than-Moore' innovations, including heterogeneous integration and novel substrates like SiC and GaN. “We aim to combine ASML’s world-class lithography expertise with CEA-Leti’s system-level innovation,” said Sébastien Dauvé, CEO of CEA-Leti. The collaboration is set to strengthen Europe’s ecosystem by shortening the path from early research to industrial impact.Left: Anne Hidma, Senior Vice President EUR US, ASML; Right: Sébastien Dauvé, CEO, CEA-LetiTurning to Europe’s industrial base, Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility, emphasized the need to shift from risk-aversion to opportunity. While the region’s automotive sector faces intense global competition, particularly from China, Senger highlighted that Europe has the potential to lead in new mobility markets. “The market for autonomous roboshuttles for people transport in large cities is forecast to be worth €400 billion in the US and Europe alone,” he said. With American firms like Waymo and Uber leading the robotaxi space, Senger stressed that Europe must “act swiftly to create an environment that supports an autonomous mobility industry here.”Christian Senger, Member of the Board for Fully Autonomous Mobility and Transport CEO of ADMT GmbH, VolkswagenEurope’s Potential to Create Advanced TechnologyOne of these RTOs, CEA-Leti, is responsible for the FAMES pilot line for FD-SOI technology. Sébastien Dauvé, CEO of CEA-Leti, agreed with Pierre Chastenet that the pilot lines show great promise. He said, “FD-SOI is a big trend in semiconductors, because it enables very low power consumption in embedded devices. We think that adoption of the technology will grow in the coming years, and that is good, because most of the technology is produced in Europe.”Sébastien Dauvé, CEO, CEA-LetiEurope is also widely recognized to be the leading global voice on sustainability – a huge issue of concern to the semiconductor industry. Henri Berthe, President of the Semiconductor and Battery Segment at Scheider Electric, told the summit that 500 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year are attributable to the semiconductor industry – “more than the whole of Mexico emits!” he said. “We need to make fabs more efficient, and that is why Schneider Electric has launched a new playbook with Applied Materials for sustainable energy abundance for the industry.”Henri Berthe, President of the Semiconductor Segment, Schneider ElectricAnother aspect of Europe’s playbook is support for new fabs. The flagship is ESMC, the joint venture between TSMC, NXP Semiconductors, Bosch, and Infineon. Christian Koitzsch, president and managing director of ESMC, reported to the summit that the project to build in Dresden a 12nm FinFET foundry and a 28nm CMOS line, requiring a total investment of €10bn, is on schedule. “We are now developing local supply chains, hosting a series of ESMC Supplier Days which are open not only to German but generally to European suppliers,” said Koitzsch.Christian Koitzsch, President and Managing Director, European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC)As Manfred Horstmann, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Global Foundries, pointed out, the building of the ESMC fab means that Dresden is established as the center of a cluster of semiconductor industry companies. “Global Foundries has its Fab 1 and a mask center in Dresden. In fact, one-third of the chips produced throughout the whole of Europe now comes from Dresden.”Manfred Horstmann, General Manager and Senior Vice President, GlobalFoundriesAn example of ambition was given by Terence Gan, Executive Director of the Institute of Microelectronics of Singapore. Gan told the summit how Singapore has used pilot lines to stimulate research and development in new technologies. He said: “We started research into advanced packaging as long ago as 2011. Most people thought we were mad! But today, there is strong demand for our advanced packaging capabilities because of the rise of AI and its need for high-performance computing.”Terence Gan, Executive Director, Institute of MicroelectronicsBreaking Barriers to ProgressDespite momentum, bureaucratic inefficiencies continue to hamper progress. Narjiss Haddaoui, Managing Director of European Economics called for faster decision-making: “In global competition, speed is a decisive factor. To act fast enough, the EU must change its ‘software’ - the processes by which it considers and makes decisions.” Narjiss Haddaoui, Managing Director, European economicsThe stifling character of European bureaucracy is reflected in the region’s approach to building fabs. Herbert Blaschitz, Executive Vice President of Advanced Technology Facilities at Exyte, compared fab construction timelines: 20 months in Taiwan, 34 in Europe, and 38 in the U.S., attributing delays in Europe to paperwork bottlenecks.Herbert Blaschitz, Executive VP of Advanced Technology Facilities, ExyteFabio Gualandris, President for Quality, Manufacturing and Technology at STMicroelectronics raised another concern — 100% of raw materials used in European fabs come from outside the region. Christophe Frey, Vice-President for EU Engagements at Arm France, added that geopolitical tensions are clouding the path forward: “We are a bit lost in the smoke from the big fire in the world’s semiconductor industry.” Fabio Gualandris, President Quality, Manufacturing Technology, STMicroelectronics Christophe Frey, Vice-President of EU Engagements, Arm FrancePlaybooks For Future SuccessSo amid the uncertainty and global tension, what lessons can the industry learn from successful regional examples? Tuomas Korpela, Business Development Senior Manager at Nokia, credited Finland’s strategic procurement and policy tools with enabling a vibrant semiconductor ecosystem: “Finland creates demand for advanced chips using industrial policy tools, alongside strategic procurement in sectors such as defense and aerospace, and connectivity.” Tuomas Korpela, Business Development Senior Manager - Corporate Development Organization, NokiaAt a regional level, Joerg Schulze, Director of the Bavarian Chips Alliance, said that his organization was supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, as well as by companies and universities. “We help semiconductor companies to establish themselves and grow here through help with site searches, networking and contacts, funding and support, and talent acquisition,” said Schulze.Joerg Schulze, Spokesperson for the Bavarian Chips Alliance, Director of the Fraunhofer IISB, Bayern Innovativ GmbHCompanies in the European semiconductor supply chain also provided the summit with their insights into the roots of global success. André Grede, Chief Technology Officer of Comet, described how his company’s strategy is not to wait for customers to tell it what they need, but to be “ahead of the curve.” Grede said: “Is staying in sync with the customer enough? Not for us - we are deeply embedded with our customers, and constantly looking to broaden our relevance to them.”André Grede, CTO, CometChristophe Maleville, Chief Technology Officer of Soitec, provided a real-world example of how this is done. He said: “Our engineered substrates using RF-SOI technology reduce the drain on a mobile phone’s battery power, and cut our customers’ board footprint thanks to RF front end integration. As a result, our products are now in 100% of 5G smartphones.”Christophe Maleville, CTO, SoitecAnne Hidma, Senior Vice-President for Europe and the US at ASML, shared the company’s success formula: “The reasons for ASML’s success include customer focus – decide which markets you are going to be in, and which you are not. We are also all-in on innovation. We nurture an ecosystem, which for us includes imec and CEA-Leti, as well as partnerships with academia. And lastly, we have a strong supply base, which is a core strength of Europe.” In a time marked by both uncertainty and opportunity, the example of ASML shows how the European semiconductor supply chain can survive and thrive.Anne Hidma, Senior Vice President EUR US, ASMLEurope’s Path ForwardThe CxO Summit made one thing clear: Europe has world-class innovation, policy momentum, and industrial commitment. What’s needed now is faster execution, deeper collaboration, and the courage to invest in the technologies of tomorrow. As the industry heads toward the $1 trillion milestone, the decisions made today will shape Europe’s place in the semiconductor world for decades to come.On behalf of SEMI, the SEMI Europe team would like to express appreciation to the industry leaders for sharing their visions and readiness to collaborate during the CxO Summit.SEMI ContactLaith Altimime, President SEMI [email protected]

As the global economy increasingly prioritizes sustainability and climate action, corporate renewable energy procurement has emerged as a critical tool worldwide. To achieve their corporate sustainability goals, businesses have sought to secure renewable energy through Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPA) with renewable energy developers. Overview of System Charges: Their Role and Impact on Corporate Renewable Energy ProcurementCPPAs are one of the common approaches for businesses to procure renewable energy directly from renewable energy developers. Physical CPPAs involve two major cost components – energy costs and system charges. In this blog, we focus on system charges which are fees collected by utilities that include transmission and balancing components. Transmission charges cover the use of grid infrastructure to deliver electricity, while balancing charges cover the cost of maintaining real-time supply-demand stability.Although system charges are a key cost component in physical CPPAs, they are typically not the primary cost drivers. Based on Wood Mackenzie’s cost estimate analysis for a 50-100MW solar CPPA across the various regulated and liberalized APAC markets of Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Japan and Taiwan, system charges typically make up less than 20% of the total CPPA price. However, this share of system charges in the total CPPA price varies considerably between APAC markets. Australia, the Philippines and South Korea maintain system charges at between 10% - 20% of their solar CPPA prices. Singapore, Japan and Taiwan see the lowest proportion of system charges of solar CPPA prices at 7%, 6% and 5% respectively.Malaysia's Moment: Optimizing SAC for CRESS SuccessAnnounced in July 2024, CRESS allows for physical CPPAs from renewable energy projects of 30 MW and above. While CRESS opens new avenues for businesses to access renewable energy, the implementation of the System Access Charge (SAC), a surcharge imposed on renewable developers for using the Malaysian Grid under CRESS, has raised cost concerns within the industry.Based on Wood Mackenzie’s analysis, Malaysia's SAC account for about 60% of the estimated total CPPA price in Peninsular Malaysia, assuming a solar production cost at USD57/MWh (based on the average of the large scale solar LLS3 LLS4 - bid price range of MYR 0.19-0.28/MWh. The SAC significantly impacts the overall cost structure of renewable energy procurement. Malaysia’s SAC for solar “non-firm supply” under CRESS is currently set at 40sen/kWh or about USD/MWh making them the highest system charges applicable to CPPAs in the region.Another concern relates to cost-transparency and ease of long-term cost forecast for buyers. Most APAC markets demonstrate high transparency in their methodologies for determining system charges. Countries like Australia and Japan provide clear breakdowns of cost components, including grid capital expenditure, operation expenditure, power losses, ancillary services, and market operation costs. Even after analyzing other regulated markets like Thailand (where wheeling and balancing charges are based on UGT 2 tariff rates), Taiwan and South Korea, Malaysia’s SAC lacks transparency in its the system charges determination methodology, compared to three other vertically integrated Single Buyer markets like Peninsular Malaysia. Such cost transparency, including detailed cost components and calculation methodology, is crucial for corporate energy buyers looking to increase predictability of electricity costs by entering long-term CPPAs. The high SAC charge poses a significant barrier to the adoption of renewable energy by industrial end-users like semiconductor manufacturers and makes it challenging for prospective CRESS buyers to understand how these charges may evolve over a 21-year contract period. The SAC under CRESS would be reviewed every 3 years and is subjected to a maximum variation of 15% from the prevailing charge.RecommendationsThe lack of transparency of the SAC could jeopardize Malaysia’s critical development objectives, such as attracting MYR500 billion (USD $110 billion) in semiconductor investments by 2030 under its National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), or its 40% renewable installed capacity target by 2035 (or about 18 GW by 2035). To address these challenges and create a more favourable environment for both semiconductor investments and renewable energy adoption, SEMI and Wood Mackenzie propose the following recommendations:Benchmarking SAC against transparent and established system charge components: Additional transparency would allow Malaysia to align with practices in both regulated and liberalized markets across the APAC region and allow more players to make long-term investments in Malaysia. Similar cost methodologies to the regulated tariff could be adopted. As an initial step, SAC should reflect Network Charges defined under the regulated tariff, and as a best practice, any differences between the SAC and the Network Charges in the regulated tariff should be clearly explained and justified (e.g. additional balancing costs induced by solar procured under the CRESS may be audited with the Single Buyer).Improving CRESS SAC stability and predictability: Ensuring transparency on the calculation methods behind SAC and its components, and predictable SAC levels, will allow businesses to proactively anticipate and plan for renewable energy procurement expenses, enabling informed decisions and on long-term corporate solar PPAs spanning 20 years’ time horizon under the CRESS framework. In particular, the maximum change in SAC charges can be narrowed down from 15% every three years.4Alignment of national sustainable energy policies: Strengthening policy support and ensuring accessible financing are essential to driving the widespread adoption of renewable energy. CRESS can only succeed if the scheme enables fair, transparent, and competitive access to clean energy. New renewable energy coming online via CRESS should not be put at an economic disadvantage through differentiated system charges from those applicable to other clean energy schemes. For example, no SACs are applied to solar under Large Scale Solar (LSS) projects, despite their system impacts being the same as under CRESS. Sustained efforts to improve affordability within CRESS are crucial for attracting investment, reducing the cost of SAC for buyers, and accelerating Malaysia’s transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future.The Path Forward and ConclusionImproving transparency and stability of SAC is crucial for facilitating Malaysia's development goals in semiconductor investments and renewable energy targets. By implementing these recommendations, Malaysia can enhance its competitiveness in attracting sustainable investments and accelerate its transition to clean energy.As the voice of the global electronics manufacturing and design supply chain, SEMI is committed to working with policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders to address these challenges. SEMI and Wood Mackenzie believe that by fostering a more transparent and competitive environment for renewable energy procurement, Malaysia can unlock the full potential of the country’s semiconductor industry while contributing to a more sustainable future.SoYoung Jang manages the SEMI Energy Collaborative programs at SEMI.Antoine Gaudin and Chun Kang Eu are from Wood Mackenzie.

SEMICON West in Phoenix, Arizona, will bring together all of the SEMI Sustainability efforts and programs under one roof over three days. With back-to-back sessions from October 7-9, this year’s Sustainability EHS Program will offer expert insights on the most pressing sustainability topics facing the microelectronics industry. Tuesday will kick off the program and focus on the business aspects of driving to sustainability in the semiconductor sector. On Wednesday, the Pavilion hosts discussions on water risk, water management, circular economy solutions and the needs for innovation from startups. Finally, Thursday will highlight the current emissions landscape, milestones and achievements, and solutions developed by the SEMI Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC). The 2025 event also marks the first public discussions of the full scope, findings and status of the SCC’s direction.All three days of the Sustainability EHS Program are sponsored by Edwards, Schneider Electric, TEL, SCREEN, Sundt and the Greater Sacramento Economic Council. Here’s a sneak peek at what the 2025 program has to offer. Registration for SEMICON West is open.The Business of Sustainability – Tuesday, October 7 Sustainability Panel: Path to Success Sustainability hits the keynote stage with Tuesday afternoon with a panel discussion detailing a plan for meaningful sustainability progress. The panel, titled Sustainability Panel: Path to Success—The Semiconductor Industry Leads the Way for a Resilient Future, will take place on the CEO Summit Keynote Stage from 2:35-3:35 p.m. Experts from Applied Materials, BASF, Micron, Google, and Qualcomm will cover strategies on how collaboration, supplier engagement, and clean technology investments are reducing emissions and propelling the industry closer to its sustainability goals. Attendees will discover what’s working, what’s still to come, and how the industry will forge its way toward a more sustainable future.A Musical Performance by Ay YoungIn anticipation of the Path to Success panel discussion, Tuesday will also spotlight an exciting musical guest. AY Young is a singer, songwriter, and the founder of the longest-running clean energy concert series in the U.S. At 2:20 p.m., he’ll take to the CEO Summit Keynote Stage for a memorable performance and give a glimpse into how important sustainability has become to attract a new generation of talent. Through his musical talent and deep commitment to clean energy, Young was appointed as a United Nations (UN) Young World Leader in 2020, helping the organization further its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. His Project17 initiative is a 17-song album, with each song centering on a different goal and backed by a corporate sponsor that aligns with it. Young will also attend the Sustainability Reception from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Sustainability Pavilion Theater.EHS Regulatory OverviewThe wide range of regulatory topics will be showcased in the first session on Tuesday at the Sustainability Pavilion. Expert speakers and advocacy groups will deliver key insights on the threats and challenges, and the research and collaboration opportunities currently at play in the regulatory environment, with special focus on keeping electronics manufacturing strong. Climate Equity Social Impact Workgroup (CESI) Aligning with the theme of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the SEMI Climate Equity Social Impact (CESI) Working Group will highlight how its members are progressing real-world outcomes for climate, education, and global cooperation. This session will run from 3-4 p.m. at the Sustainability Pavilion Stage, and it’s ideal for anyone in the industry who’s passionate about sustainable partnerships. Innovations Enabling Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recover – Wednesday, October 8Resource Use and Circular EconomyWednesday’s 10:15-11:30 a.m. session, Resource Use and Circular Economy will offer tactical solutions to help fabs reach up to 80-90% circularity. The goal of this session is to lay a foundation for transforming the industry’s circularity concerns into practical opportunities, which will be achieved over two panel discussions. Discussion 1, A Circular Value Chain: Challenges and Leading-Edge Solutions, will highlight solutions for eliminating waste and reducing manufacturing costs through circular technologies. This panel will feature experts from Edwards, Syensqo, and ElectraMet and will be moderated by Subgeni’s Taimur Burki. These subject matter experts will highlight their company solutions, but also other areas they see in need of consideration from a circularity lens, as well as best known practices across fabs. Water is a precious resource, and how the industry manages it is crucial for its long-term success. Discussion 2, Tactical Maturity Scales for Water Management, will unveil two new guides developed by SEMI’s Water Management Working Group. Both products are designed to move manufacturers from both large and small fabs and manufacturing operations to assess their water needs and most efficiently improve water reuse by up to 80%. This panel will be led by speakers from Aquatech, SCREEN, Sundt, Ovivo, and C2MI. Water Resilience Starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Sustainability Pavilion Stage, attendees will hear from the SEMI Environmental Risk Mitigation and Reporting Working Group lead - Senior Sustainable Program Manager – Alua Suleimenova – as she shares her insights and findings from a recently completed study by WaterPlan on industry water risks within the semiconductor value chain. The topic and findings will then be addressed by a panel, where Suleimenova will engage leaders from ASM, Waterplan, ERM, and the Alliance for Water Stewardship, in a conversation about water, nature, and associated corporate risks. Although companies are making strides to protect water access, it’s becoming clear that a focus on internal activities will not move the needle significantly enough for achieving long-term resilience. This panel will offer solutions for adapting water-related risks to the supply chain, with a focus on North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe.Other Wednesday AttractionsSEMI S3 – Startups for Sustainable Semiconductors: SEMI S3, or Startups for Sustainable Semiconductors, is an annual program by the industry’s venture capital divisions designed to boost awareness of semiconductor industry needs by inviting promising startups to be mentored and pitch their solutions to our industry. Earlier this year, 145 candidates submitted applications. Now, it’s down to 15 finalists, who will present at SEMICON West from 2-4:40 p.m. at the Sustainability Pavilion, following a Fireside Chat from experienced innovation experts from 1-2pm.Accelerating Sustainability with Smart Manufacturing – Presentations Poster Session: Technical papers and posters focused on sustainability solutions – from water to energy – will also be presented in the Smart Manufacturing Pavilion from 2-5:15 p.m., providing an opportunity to network with industry leaders and discover the latest best practices for how machine learning and AI can reduce water and waste in fabs.Reducing Emissions – Thursday, October 9SCC – Tackling Emissions Across the IndustryExpect a full-house at Thursday’s all-day session featuring SCC – Tackling Emissions Across the Industry. From 10:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the SEMI SCC leaders and experts will detail its findings and projects addressing the industry’s emissions. SCC has been focusing on ensuring consistent and measurable progress in decarbonizing from 2021 levels. Key topics include: Reporting and aligningBaseline, ambition, and roadmapAbatementLow Global Warming Potential (GWP) gases workLow Carbon Economy (LCE) access and procurementEnergy efficienciesScope 3 upstreamSEMICON West also features SEMI U courses to learn more about sustainability in our industry. For example, on Thursday, SEMI U: PFAS Compounds in Semiconductor Environment, is being offered from 8 a.m. to noon. This course is available for purchase. Support the SEMI Forest community effort to reforest our planet by funding a range of certified carbon avoidance and tree planting projects. Our goal for SEMICON West is to fund planting for 100,000 trees. Scan the QR code below to contribute and help us meet our goal.Learn more about the 2025 SEMICON West Sustainability EHS Program. Follow SEMI Sustainability on LinkedIn for regular updates on sustainability initiatives. Saifi Usmani is Vice President for Sustainability at SEMI.

The SEMI Startups for Sustainable Semiconductors (S3) program announced 15 startups chosen as finalists for pitching to the industry at SEMICON West 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The finalists were chosen from a field of 35 semifinalists after a virtual pitch event over 2 days. Startups were evaluated by the organizing committee on five factors: the sustainability impact on our industry, commercial viability of product, company value proposition, the quality of the pitch and the startup team.The committee, made up of experienced Corporate Venture Capitalists (CVCs) from the global semiconductor industry, initially received 145 submissions in all three categories identified for 2025:Sustainable Semiconductor ManufacturingSustainable Data CenterGen AI for Sustainable DesignNow in its 4th year, the program features strong exposure to semiconductor industry CVCs, through the personal mentoring each startup receives. Mentoring topics are tailored to align with the needs and strategic positioning of the startup business plan, and can range from basic introduction to semiconductor manufacturing, to connections to new funding sources. A full analysis of the program over the past 3 years is available here.The SEMI Startups for Sustainability Semiconductor pitch event will take place at the Sustainability Pavilion Stage on Wednesday, October 8 starting at 1:00 p.m. Program lead John Wei of Applied Ventures will open the session and introduce a fireside chat featuring Dr. Om Nalamasu, CTO of Applied Materials and Chair of Applied Ventures and Dr. Melissa Grupen-Shemansky, CTO of SEMI, and moderated by Saifi Usmani, SEMI Vice President of Sustainability. These executives will discuss the role of startups in semiconductor sustainability, along with a variety of related topics. The finalist pitches are scheduled from 2:00 to 4:40 p.m., with each presenter given a 10-minute time slot.Investors are welcome to attend the session at SEMICON West and to register their interest here to learn more about the 2026 program.2025 S3 FinalistsActasys Inc.Brooklyn, NY, USA Actasys has developed a precision cooling solution designed for thermal bottlenecks in semiconductor-driven systems such as networking cards (NICs), DPUs, switches, and optical transceivers. Instead of cooling entire racks or server rooms ActaJet™ targets localized hotspots at the device level, delivering scalable, high-efficiency airflow through a compact, adaptive, and electronically controlled actuator system. AlixLabs ABLund, Sweden AlixLabs AB is developing a disruptive semiconductor manufacturing technology based on Atomic Layer Pitch Splitting (APS). It enables cost-effective and environmentally sustainable scaling of transistor architectures by doubling pattern density without requiring advanced lithography. The core product includes both the APS process and customized etching equipment that integrates into existing semiconductor fab workflows, reducing complexity, cost, and environmental impact.AllonniaBoston, MA, USA Allonnia delivers on-site PFAS treatment with SAFF® (Surface Active Foam Fractionation), a modular system that uses air to naturally separate long- and short-chain PFAS from water. SAFF concentrates PFAS up to 100,000x, minimizing waste and enabling cost-effective, closed-loop management alongside any destruction technology. This plug-and-play solution helps fabs meet strict regulations while advancing sustainability goals with low OPEX and seamless integration into existing operations.AlsemySeoul, South Korea Alsemy is building an AI-powered platform that bridges Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and EDA domains enabling fabless engineers to reflect manufacturing data characteristics in their chip designs, while process engineers can make data-driven decisions to optimize manufacturing processes for maximum chip performance. By connecting these traditionally siloed areas, a feedback loop is created to drive efficiency and innovation across the semiconductor value chain.Arieca IncPittsburgh, PA, USA Arieca's adaptable Liquid Metal Embedded Elastomer (LMEE) technology, which blends liquid metal and polymer, delivers both thermal performance and mechanical reliability. LMEEs are a cost-effective, dispensable emulsion that is compatible with existing high volume manufacturing tools and allows for low pressure spreading and excellent wetting. CuspAICambridge, UK CuspAI is building an engine that combines Gen AI models, virtual twins, and active learning pipelines for simulation to develop sustainable materials solutions that address critical environmental challenges, including, environmentally-friendly etching reagents, specialized sorbents for emissions capture, and novel catalysts for manufacturing waste remediation. The engine has already proven successful in designing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for carbon capture and PFAS removal from water.FlexiramicsEnshede, The Netherlands Flexiramics® is a breakthrough flexible, 100% ceramic fiber material designed as a drop-in replacement for glass fiber in PCBs. By enhancing thermal conductivity and reducing signal loss, it enables semiconductor manufacturers to build faster, cooler, and more reliable devices. This translates into higher performance, longer lifetimes, and greater efficiency for next-generation chips and advanced electronic systems.icspiKitchener, ON, Canada icspi has developed the microAFM, a scalable atomic force microscope (AFM) on a 1 mm^2 MEMS scan head, 1,000,000x smaller than conventional AFMs. MicroAFM technology enables parallel arrays of thousands of devices for sub-nanometer metrology and inspection with unprecedented throughput, accelerating time-to-yield and reducing scrap.Mixx Technologies, Inc.San Jose, CA, USA Mixx Technologies is a deep-tech startup building next-generation optical interconnect solutions to deliver non-blocking, energy-efficient data movement. The advanced 3DS platform enables petabit level end-to-end connectivity for AI workloads resulting in sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective scaling. The 3DS platform comprised of the engine, package and system, enables seamless deployment of the optical IO chiplet.Point2 TechnologySan Jose, CA, USA Point2 designs and manufactures mixed-signal interconnect SoCs for terabit data transmission, to overcome the barriers of copper and optical cabling to accelerate AI interconnect in GPU cluster scale-up. e-Tube technology uses an RF Transmitter SoC to convert data from the electrical to the RF domain for transmission over plastic waveguides, with the RF Receiver SoC converting the data from the RF domain back to the electrical domain.PROUDLausanne, Switzerland PROUD's patented diamond-layer technology with the highest heat dissipation capacity ( 1000 W/m.K) of any existing material, deposited on chips, allows a direct upgrade in heat extraction, power output and efficiency.SKYRE, Inc.East Hartford, MA, USA SKYRE, Inc. is a pioneer in hydrogen technology, developing innovative solutions to support a clean energy future. From hydrogen recycling, purification and compression, to sustainable energy systems, we deliver environmentally responsible innovations in high-efficiency, zero-waste hydrogen and carbon transformation technologies—cutting costs, boosting industrial productivity, and reducing environmental impact.SyentaSydney, Australia Syenta has developed LEM - Localized Electrochemical Modelling - a process for depositing metal patterns using a local electrochemical process. The pattern is created on a stamp, which then prints the pattern on the substrate in an additive process.Vionano Innovations IncSt. Paul, MN, USA VioNano Innovations is building a patterning platform to enable advanced feature scaling using self-assembling polymer brush materials. The system enables polymers over 193 nm DUV lithography patterns to double feature density without requiring ALD/CVD or etch steps. The result is a low-energy, high-resolution process for sub-20 nm features using existing infrastructure.XLYNX MaterialsVictoria, BC, Canada XLYNX designs and manufactures a revolutionary family of polymer crosslinkers. These reagents are uniquely able to cure virtually ANY aliphatic polymer, by harnessing high-yielding insertions to carbon-hydrogen bonds. Curing can be triggered thermally (at temperatures as low as 80°C) or photochemically (using either UV or blue light). Heidi Hoffman is Senior Director, Marketing Sustainability at SEMI. Saifi Usmani is VP, Global Industry Sustainability Programs at SEMI.

Under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP), all companies are required to calculate and report their emissions, including those of all members of their downstream and upstream supply chains. These are called Scope 3 emissions, and are divided into 15 Categories, including Category 11 - Use of Sold Products, a heavy lift for many small (and often large) companies. Measurement and improvements in vendor Scope 3 emissions are already influencing vendor selection and sourcing decisions, and experts agree that this will continue to increase. Upstream suppliers have typically relied on broad GHGP guidance to follow in making their calculations. For the semiconductor sector, and its well-documented, incredibly complex supply chain, there was no guidance accounting for the nuances within the industry to standardize calculations. Work began a year-and-a-half ago to change that.The Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC)’s Scope 3 Working Group compiled, verified and published a guidance document for calculating Scope 3, Category 11 emissions. The guidance document helps standardize emissions reporting and calculation methods and accounts for the unique requirements and circumstances of the semiconductor value chain.The SCC 3.11 guidance explicitly highlights where it maintains consistency with the existing guidance (e.g., GHG, SBTi, US EPA) and where it expands on that guidance to close a gap relevant to one or more of the semiconductor industry segments. The document was developed with the help of the Sustainability Consulting Group ERM, as well as excellent participation from the Scope 3 Working Group members, including representation from every segment of the semiconductor value chain from IDMs to foundries, fabless companies, chemical gas and materials companies, OSATS, and equipment manufacturers.Some of the significant areas considered while compiling the guidance included:Boundaries, especially around products and direct use-phase emissionsProduct lifespan, especially across the different sectors of the value chainMarket based emissions guidanceIncorporating grid decarbonization into the inventory and calculationsThe document includes several useful calculation examples, including direct use phase emissions and direct and indirect energy consumption. The examples help to make the guidance more tangible and practical in real world application.We were pleased to collaborate with our industry colleagues on developing this guidance as we work to align with others in the industry and minimize our reporting via efforts by the SCC. Download the Guidance Document.For further insights into the Guidance, the authors, including experts from ERM recently hosted a webinar. Register to watch the recording. Sara Turner is Climate Program Manager at Lam Research, and Mike Halblander is Product Marketing Manager at Teradyne. Both Turner and Halblander lead the SCC’s Scope 3 Working Group.

The SEMI Startups for Sustainable Semiconductors (S3) program, now in its 4th year of inviting startups to apply, is pleased to announce the 35 startups chosen to move to the semi-finalist virtual pitch event happening July 31 and August 1. From this pool, 10-12 finalists will be chosen and invited to pitch to a live audience at SEMICON West 2025 in Phoenix, AZ, October 7-9, 2025. The committee, made up of experienced Corporate Venture Capitalists (CVCs) from the global semiconductor industry, received impressive submissions in all three categories identified for 2025:Sustainable Semiconductor ManufacturingSustainable Data CenterGen AI for Sustainable DesignLed by Applied Materials this year, the program’s strongest feature is the exposure to the CVCs, as well as the personal mentoring each semi-finalist receives. The mentoring topics are tailor made to align with the greatest need of the startup and can range from basic introduction to semiconductor manufacturing, to connecting them to funding sources. A full analysis of the program kicked off this year’s efforts. The program saw a 100% increase in applications to 145 this year and thus the pool of semifinalists expanded from 30 to 35. While geographically diverse, the semi-finalists all share their solutions for the building and use of more sustainable electronics. Are you an investor and would like to receive notice of the virtual and live pitch events around S3? Register your interest here.2025 S3 Semifinalists3D Architech, Inc.Boston, MA, USA 3D Architech develops and commercializes advanced cooling devices for AI chips using a proprietary gel-based metal 3D printing technology. Unlike conventional methods limited to 100-micron structures, our technology enables highly complex microstructures at 10-micron precision, achieving up to 60% improvement in cooling efficiency. Actasys Inc.Brooklyn, NY, USAActasys has developed a precision cooling solution designed for thermal bottlenecks in semiconductor-driven systems such as networking cards (NICs), DPUs, switches, and optical transceivers. Instead of cooling entire racks or server rooms ActaJet™ targets localized hotspots at the device level, delivering scalable, high-efficiency airflow through a compact, adaptive, and electronically controlled actuator system. AlixLabs ABLund, SwedenAlixLabs AB is developing a disruptive semiconductor manufacturing technology based on Atomic Layer Pitch Splitting (APS). It enables cost-effective and environmentally sustainable scaling of transistor architectures by doubling pattern density without requiring advanced lithography. The core product includes both the APS process and customized etching equipment that integrates into existing semiconductor fab workflows, reducing complexity, cost, and environmental impact.AllonniaBoston, MA, USAAllonnia™ Surface Active Foam Fractionation (SAFF) unit is a turnkey PFAS remediation system engineered for on-site deployment. The system employs foam fractionation to physically separate PFAS from contaminated water streams, including both long- and short-chain compounds. SAFF arrives in a standard container and requires only electrical power, influent, and effluent hookups, and is telemetry-enabled for remote monitoring and control.Alloy EnterprisesBurlington, VT, USAAlloy Enterprises develops and manufactures cold plates, manifolds, and integrated thermal solutions for liquid cooling GPUs, CPUs, and other high-performance components in data centers and semiconductor equipment. Alloy utilizes a patented Stack Forging® process to enable direct-to-chip cooling to improve thermal performance and reduce pressure drop by up to 40 times, enabling data centers to run 44°C water and reduce pumping power.AlsemySeoul, South KoreaAlsemy is building an AI-powered platform that bridges Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and EDA domains enabling fabless engineers to reflect manufacturing data characteristics in their chip designs, while process engineers can make data-driven decisions to optimize manufacturing processes for maximum chip performance. By connecting these traditionally siloed areas, a feedback loop is created to drive efficiency and innovation across the semiconductor value chain.Arieca IncPittsburgh, PA, USAArieca's adaptable Liquid Metal Embedded Elastomer (LMEE) technology, which blends liquid metal and polymer, delivers both thermal performance and mechanical reliability. LMEEs are a cost-effective, dispensable emulsion that is compatible with existing high volume manufacturing tools and allows for low pressure spreading and excellent wetting. Atomos 3DWest Lafayette, IN, USAAtomos 3D offers low temperature transistor technology for monolithic 3D chip integrationCoflux Purification, IncHouston, TX, USACoflux Purification is developing a modular, point-of-use reactor system that both captures and destroys PFAS in semiconductor wastewater using our patent-pending Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs). These materials serve as photocatalytic adsorbents, combining high surface area, tunable porosity, and chemical stability to enable efficient PFAS adsorption and UV-driven degradation within a compact, modular system ensuring smooth operational deployment. CoolSem TechnologiesEindhoven, The NetherlandsCoolSem is developing a breakthrough thermal management technology for semiconductor devices. The Wafer Level Thermal Interface Stack (WLTIS) enables 1) up to 15x better thermal management; 2) 25-55°C lower chip temperatures; 3) 2-4° increase in device performance, reliability, and lifespan; and 4) up to 30-50% reduction in cooling energy needs. CoolSem help handle the exploding demand for AI training and inference without proportional increases in power usage or carbon footprint.CuspAICambridge, UKCuspAI is building an engine that combines Gen AI models, virtual twins, and active learning pipelines for simulation to develop sustainable materials solutions that address critical environmental challenges, including, environmentally-friendly etching reagents, specialized sorbents for emissions capture, and novel catalysts for manufacturing waste remediation. The engine has already proven successful in designing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for carbon capture and PFAS removal from water.FlexiramicsEnshede, The NetherlandsFlexiramics® is a flexible, 100% ceramic fiber material engineered as a drop-in replacement for PCB substrates. It dramatically improves heat dissipation and signal integrity in high-performance electronics, enabling faster, cooler, and more reliable semiconductor systems.FluorityxWatertown, MA, USAFluorityx is commercializing a portable low-cost polymer sensor for PFAS. This fast and efficient system will be able to measure low concentrations of PFAS and replace expensive equipment and does not require highly trained staff to operate and maintain the equipment.Forever AnalyticalSouth Bend, IN, USAForever Analytical is developing a field-deployable sensor capable of providing real-time total fluorine (TF) mass-balance information. The company is also developing a mass-spectroscopy based solution that can be coupled with the sensor to provide information on the specific PFAS molecules present in the waste stream and can be adapted to measure other contamination of interest, such as heavy metals, lead, and copper.Gallox Semiconductors Inc.Ithaca, NY, USAGallox Semiconductors is dedicated to commercializing beta-gallium oxide (Ga2O3)-based transistors and diodes. Our patented device topologies take advantage of Ga2O3's large bandgap (~4.8 eV), which enables lower conduction losses and higher voltage handling compared to SiC. Higher voltage operation means greater power densities and system-level efficiency, effectively generating less waste heat and reducing both energy loss and cooling burdens.IC Recovery, a Division of Greene Lyon Group, Inc.Beverly, MA, USAIC Recovery's multi-patented CHIP-RENEW® technology uses a proprietary process to apply a unique thermal fluid to the surface of PCBs until the solder alloy attaching chips and other components to the board substrate reaches temperature liquidus. At that point, we can selectively recover functionally valuable chips for renewal and reuse, and/or harvest all other chips and components on the board in order to concentrate their content for subsequent, sustainable refining.icspiKitchener, ON, CanadaIcspi has created a complete atomic force microscope (AFM) scan head on a 1 mm x 1 mm chip - 1 million times smaller than traditional AFMs and the future of nanoscale semiconductor metrology and inspection powered by arrays of thousands of micro-AFM devices. The technology boosts wafer coverage and speeds time-to-yield and reduces scrap. Kelvin Cooling Inc.Berkeley, CA, USAKelvin Cooling introduces high-efficiency nano-film evaporation cooling technology - enhancing thermal management by increasing heat transfer efficiency while reducing power consumption. This thin-film evaporation system enables direct-to-chip cooling, in a compact, scalable, and energy-efficient platform.LinqueMunich, GermanyLinque provides an integrated photonic switch (IPS) enabling AI-capable network nodes with reconfigurable all-optical routing for high data-rate channels with ultra-low latencies suitable for scale-out and scale-up layers of data center networks.Makr MicrosystemsBangalore, IndiaMakr Microsystems has developed a novel approach to AcousticAtomic Force Microscope (AFM) that uses common AFM instrumentation and simplifies interpretation, with a modified probe geometry that enables both acoustic transduction and sensing. We have demonstrated nanometer scale imaging from samples with shallow and deep subsurface structures.MatnexLondon, UKMatnex platform uses AI to rapidly scan the periodic table, allows input of objectives (functional electronic, optical, or mechanical properties) and constraints (element exclusions, intrinsic price, emission limits, etc.), and then searches a proprietary database to identify suitable stable candidates and their production methods. This provides fit-for-purpose materials that reduce environmental impact, improve the bottom line, and open new markets with technological breakthroughs.Mixx Technologies, Inc.San Jose, CA, USAMixx Technologies is a deep-tech startup building next-generation optical interconnect solutions to deliver non-blocking, energy-efficient data movement. The advanced 3DS platform enables petabit level end-to-end connectivity for AI workloads resulting in sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective scaling. The 3DS platform comprised of the engine, package and system, enables seamless deployment of the optical IO chiplet.Nano Performance Technologies Ltd.Coquitlam, BC, CanadaNano Performance Technologies (NPT) is developing next-generation nanomaterials, specifically, Tellurene and Bismuthene (2D materials) and ultra-pure gold nanoparticle, for use in semiconductors, quantum computing, and advanced biosensing. The innovation is the scalable production and commercialization of these materials. The platform combines IP from Purdue University with in-house lab capabilities, enabling a supply of application-ready nanomaterials to R D and manufacturing partners.NextGO EpiBerlin, GermanyNextGo Epi delivers high-quality and large-scale Gallium Oxide epiwafer for high-voltage (up to 10kV-level) applications that are durable in high-temperature operations and environments with high radiation levels.NextoarBangalore, IndiaNextoar is a deeptech AI startup, focused on using AI to train the frontline fab technicians, equipment engineers, maintenance engineers, test engineers, service engineers, etc., and others closest to the action. The system will make them part of the innovation engine by, augmenting frontline workers, amplifying their business impact and creating continuously innovating organizations.PhysicsXNew York, NY, USAThe PhysicsX platform is an AI-driven simulation software stack designed to speed up traditional numerical simulations, optimizes components within defined constraints, and generate innovative geometries using generative Large Geometry Models (LGMs). The technology seamlessly integrates into enterprise engineering workflows, driving tangible improvements in product design, manufacturing, and operations and has several successful implementations in the electronics ecosystem.Point2 TechnologySan Jose, CA, USAPoint2 designs and manufactures mixed-signal interconnect SoCs for terabit data transmission, to overcome the barriers of copper and optical cabling to accelerate AI interconnect in GPU cluster scale-up. e-Tube technology uses an RF Transmitter SoC to convert data from the electrical to the RF domain for transmission over plastic waveguides, with the RF Receiver SoC converting the data from the RF domain back to the electrical domain.PROUDLausanne, SwitzerlandPROUD's patented diamond-layer technology with the highest heat dissipation capacity ( 1000 W/m.K) of any existing material, deposited on chips, allows a direct upgrade in heat extraction, power output and efficiency.Scrona AGZurich, AustriaScrona has developed a scalable multi-nozzle electrohydrodynamic (EHD) inkjet printhead for additive microfabrication in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. This MEMS-based 128-nozzle printhead enables sub-10 nm resolution, ultra-low material use, and wide material compatibility, including metals, dielectrics, and polymers. It replaces wasteful lithography and etching with direct-write precision printing, significantly reducing energy, water, and chemical consumption in an automation-ready format.SKYRE, Inc.East Hartford, MA, USASKYRE develops and manufactures products for on-site purification and pressurization of process hydrogen and makes it available for reuse at the fab facility. The hardware is highly reliable with low maintenance costs with equal or better quality and lower cost than merchant hydrogen or onsite hydrogen generation.SyentaSydney, AustraliaSyenta has developed LEM - Localized Electrochemical Modelling - a process for depositing metal patterns using a local electrochemical process. The pattern is created on a stamp, which then prints the pattern on the substrate in an additive process.Terecircuits CorporationMountain View, CA, USATerecircuits develops advanced material solutions for heterogeneous assembly of small, fragile, and thinned components, Chiplets, sensors, power devices, and passives. The process is ideal for achieving scale with reduced waste; while meeting critical assembly challenges such as 3D assembly, silicon carbide die attach, flexible circuits, and optics. Vertical HorizonsCambridge, MA, USAVertical Horizons is a fabless semiconductor company commercializing vertical gallium nitride (GaN) power transistors to revolutionize energy efficiency. Vertical GaN reduces energy losses by up to 30% and doubles power density, enabling a 50% reduction in system footprint. This innovation tackles the urgent need for a new generation of power infrastructure designed to scale AI, and high-density and high-power applications.Vionano Innovations IncSt. Paul, MN, USAVioNano Innovations is building a patterning platform to enable advanced feature scaling using self-assembling polymer brush materials. The system enables polymers over 193 nm DUV lithography patterns to double feature density without requiring ALD/CVD or etch steps. The result is a low-energy, high-resolution process for sub-20 nm features using existing infrastructure.XLYNX MaterialsVictoria, BC, CanadaXLYNX designs and manufactures a revolutionary family of polymer crosslinkers. These reagents are uniquely able to cure virtually ANY aliphatic polymer, by harnessing high-yielding insertions to carbon-hydrogen bonds. Curing can be triggered thermally (at temperatures as low as 80°C) or photochemically (using either UV or blue light). Heidi Hoffman is Senior Director, Marketing Sustainability at SEMI.

Industry growth has consequences.Rapid growth for semiconductor companies has meant increasing amounts of spent materials and chemicals. As expected, these have enlarged environmental impacts, disposal costs, and liability. Semiconductor companies confront challenges that not every sector faces: larger company size, higher value added per unit of production, and higher technological capacity are not always related to lower quantities of waste per unit of production.Collective action is needed to turn this challenge into business resilience. SEMI, imec, and our SEMI Circularity Working Group community are sharpening our cooperation to meet the need.MOVING FROM LINEAR TO CIRCULARSemiconductor value chain companies are making strides to pivot from a linear economy (take, make, waste) to a circular economy (maintain, reuse, refurbish, remanufacture, recycle). Early strategies were anchored primarily to waste management, waste-to-energy, waste diversion, and recycling programs. Lately companies are expanding to novel raw materials strategies, waste repurposing methods, and improvement of remanufacturing through resale at new-product-like performance and quality. This is a real opportunity for companies because using spent chemicals as a feedstock can cut costs, bolster supply chain management, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create opportunities for brands, and bolster social license to operate. Yet most breakthroughs in circular practices are happening in relative isolation across the value chain. Until now, there is no widely recognized system for identifying and ranking materials used in manufacturing to prioritize where conversion from linear to circular use would provide the most gains. A FRAMEWORK FOR PRIORITIZATIONA 2025 report – produced through collaboration between SEMI and imec – presents an inventory of 69 distinct materials prioritized for circularity along with the framework for ranking. It also shares the method to support calibration to fit specific use cases. The outputs will be immediately useful for decision-makers across functions in the semiconductor value chain, including, but not limited to:ProcurementSustainabilityEHS (environment, health, and safety), andRisk management. These professionals now have a cross-industry reference for driving impactful circular initiatives at their firms.Download the reportCATALYZING RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION, AND ADOPTIONIn conjunction with the publication, SEMI and imec are launching the Circular Semiconductors Research Network, a platform to connect research teams with industry adopters to accelerate validation and deployment of circular technologies and methods. Ideal collaborators can substantiate Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or greater and seek industry validation, adoption, and acceleration of circularity solution deployment aimed to purify, reuse, and/or resell spent materials and by-products – either onsite or offsite at a permitted facility under the conditions set out in our invitation.Research teams with relevant subject matter expertise are welcome to submit proposals for research in exploratory phases (lower TRLs) for review by SEMI members. Preference will be given to research teams that address practical hurdles faced by semiconductor value chain companies as they navigate regulatory frameworks for onsite vs. offsite treatments.The call for collaboration seeks to amplify research and development of technologies that comply with applicable regulations and meet one of the following conditions: (1) the owner/operator does not need to obtain a waste permit, or (2) the technology needs to be put offsite at a permitted waste facility. View the Invitation – Applications due May 30, 2025THE BIGGER PICTUREThe publication and launch of the Circular Semiconductors Research Network is a response to growing attention from business leaders and policymakers on critical materials in semiconductor manufacturing. Supply chain security for these materials has become a strategic issue for governments and the private sector, not only because it could affect the pace of the energy transition but also because materials sourcing has become contested among geopolitical rivalries and alliances. The network will provide momentum for industry and research to prioritize the development and adoption of circular methods for materials that would generate the most strategic, economic, and environmental gain in the semiconductor value chain. It will do so in dialogue with the SEMI Circularity Working Group, a venue for collective action among SEMI members that works closely with other trade association initiatives such as the SEMI Supply Chain Management Initiative, which is focused on resilience, agility, and responsibility, and the SEMI Accelerating Sustainability with Smart Manufacturing Task Force, which develops an industry technology roadmap. For more information, write to the Circular Semiconductors Research Network at [email protected]. SEMI members are invited to join the Circularity Working Group meeting monthly. If interested, contact Jordan Famularo at [email protected]. Jordan Famularo, PhD, is Program Manager – Sustainability at SEMI.