Opening remarks

Victoria Cummings
Senior Manager, Workforce Development and EU Projects
SEMI Europe

Abstract
Europe’s semiconductor industry will face a talent gap of 75,000 professionals by 2030. Addressing skills shortages, attracting and retaining talent, and fostering diversity are essential to sustaining innovation and competitiveness. At the same time, global collaboration is key to building resilient supply chains and advancing technological leadership through the Pilot Lines. This session will explore practical approaches to education, workforce development, cross-border cooperation, and inclusive talent strategies to secure Europe’s position in the semiconductor ecosystem.

Biography
Since joining SEMI Europe in 2023, Victoria manages projects that support workforce development, including the development of educational materials, awareness raising, and programs to improve DEI in the semiconductor sector. Currently, she oversees the European Chips Skills Academy (ECSA) and European Chips Diversity Alliance projects and is involved in several European projects related to skills development and education in microelectronics. Through these projects, Victoria contributes to the creation of targeted programs to attract and upskill talent for the most critical job shortages, assess employment trends and identify barriers to entry for underrepresented groups. Prior to entering the semiconductor industry, Victoria worked as a policy adviser for regulation on financial services and energy markets. She received a master’s degree in political science from Boston University in 2018.

Horizon Europe ICOS : International Cooperation on Semiconductors for European Economic Resilience

Francis Balestra
Director of Research
Grenoble INP-CNRS-SiNANO Institute

Abstract
This presentation will deal with the ICOS CSA project dedicated to International Cooperation On Semiconductors. International cooperation is key for speeding up technological innovation, reducing cost by avoiding duplicated research, boosting the resilience of the semiconductor value and supply chains, and is one of the objectives of the EU Chips Act. The final ICOS results will be highlighted, including the analysis of the semiconductor economic and technological landscapes in Europe and leading semiconductor countries, the identification of the most promising emerging technologies, the proposal of areas for potential cooperation and the opportunities for bilateral or multilateral research collaborations in the fields of advanced functionalities and computing.

Biography
BALESTRA Francis, CNRS Research Director at CROMA, is Director Emeritus of the European SiNANO Institute and Chair of IEEE Electron Device Society France, and has been Director of several Research labs. He coordinated many European Projects (ICOS, NEREID, NANOFUNCTION, NANOSIL, etc.) that have represented unprecedented collaborations in Europe in the field of Nanoelectronics. He founded and organized many international Conferences, and has co-authored more than 500 publications. He is member of several European Scientific Councils, of the Advisory Committees of International Journals and of the IRDS (International Roadmap for Devices and Systems) International Roadmap Committee as representative of Europe.