Nordic Chip Meet-Up 2025 in Lund: A Strong Nordic Voice in Europe’s Semiconductor Future

The Nordic Chip Meet-Up in Lund (20–21 August 2025) gathered industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and innovators from across the region to discuss the future of microelectronics and semiconductors. The event emphasized the Nordic region’s growing role in shaping Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem through collaboration, sustainability, skills development, and strategic positioning.

Here is some key messages from the conference.

1. Geopolitical shifts and Europe’s semiconductor resilience

Speakers such as Laith Altimime (SEMI Europe) and Henry Hodzic (Business Sweden) highlighted how semiconductors have become central to geopolitics and supply chain resilience. COVID-19 and global tensions elevated chips to the top of national agendas, while Europe remains highly dependent on external supply chains.

The European Chips Act provides a framework to strengthen Europe’s value chain, but speakers noted that implementation must focus on Europe’s unique strengths: innovation, materials, equipment, and sustainability. The Nordics, with their expertise in chip design, renewable energy, and research leadership, were highlighted as strategic assets for Europe’s competitiveness.

2. The importance of education and skills development

The talent shortage was a recurring theme throughout the day. Björn Ekelund (Ericsson) explained how in-house semiconductor design is essential for competitiveness but requires continuous access to skilled engineers. Joachim Rodrigues (classIC) stressed that Europe faces a gap of around 70,000 semiconductor professionals by 2030, including 9,000 in chip design alone.

To address this, Nordic universities are expanding programs, international student interest is growing, and initiatives such as industrial PhDs and summer schools are building momentum. Still, Europe must do more to inspire younger generations, retrain the workforce, and strengthen academia–industry collaboration to secure the talent pipeline.

3. Sustainability as a competitive edge

The panel on Nordic positioning in sustainable semiconductors, featuring Julia Hess (interface), Björn Holmström (NSS Waters), and Piia Konstari (VTT), emphasized that sustainability is no longer optional, it is becoming a decisive factor in business and competitiveness.

Examples ranged from Nordic startups pioneering water recycling technologies that reduce water use by up to 90%, to research efforts in materials, photonics, and AI-driven system design for reducing energy consumption. The Nordics’ access to renewable energy and culture of collaboration were presented as unique assets for developing sustainable semiconductor solutions that can scale globally.

4. The role of collaboration and a shared Nordic voice

Collaboration was a recurring theme throughout the event. In the opening addresses, Michail Pagounis (Business Sweden), Peter Munch-Madsen (Nordic Innovation), and Krisztina Anderberg Halasz (Region Skåne) highlighted the importance of building lasting networks and turning Nordic ambition into concrete action.

This message was reinforced during the European collaboration panel with Maria Huffman (SCCC, Sweden), Pasi Pylväs (FiCCC, Finland), Vegard Olsen (CC-Norchip, Norway), and Bruno Paing (CEA-Leti, France). Panelists stressed that the Nordics must speak with one voice, focus on complementary strengths, and avoid duplication of efforts. Competence centers and RTOs should serve as bridges for SMEs, while joint initiatives such as the LUMI supercomputer and the idea of Nordic summer schools demonstrateed the benefits of cross-border collaboration.

5. Investment, scale-ups, and confidence

The FDI panel, moderated by Jo Uthus (European Innovation Council) and joined by Jonas Kjellstrand (Translink Capital), Linn Fagerberg (Electronic Coast), and Björn Langbeck (Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth), addressed the critical issue of investment.

Panelists noted that while one-third of Nordic semiconductor companies are already foreign-owned, the region still faces challenges in scale-up funding. Startups often relocate to the U.S. to secure growth capital, as domestic investors rarely provide sufficient funding beyond early stages. At the same time, geopolitical shifts are directing more global capital toward Europe.

The Nordics, with their clean energy, political stability, and strong universities, are attractive for foreign investment, but must strengthen their ecosystems to absorb and use this capital effectively. The panel concluded with a strong message: the Nordics must act with confidence, present their strengths clearly, and work together as a united region to attract both investors and talent.

Innovation in Action – Day 2 Highlights

The second day of the meet-up showcased the region’s research and industrial strengths through three site visits:

• RISE – supporting companies to test, scale, and bring new technologies to market.

• MAX IV Laboratory – enabling world-class research in materials, medicine, and nanotech with one of the world’s brightest synchrotron light sources.

• Axis Communications – a global success story demonstrating how Nordic innovation can scale worldwide in imaging and network technologies.

These visits reinforced the message that the Nordic region has the research capacity, industry drive, and collaborative spirit to make a real impact in semiconductors and microelectronics.

Our Perspective

The discussions in Lund confirmed the importance of our mission across its four core areas:

• Design excellence – ensuring Europe captures more value through in-house innovation.

• Specialized manufacturing – supporting sustainable and energy-efficient production. We can and should have fabs in advanced fabrication!

• Business and ecosystem support – fostering collaboration across borders and avoiding duplication. Nordic collaboration here is the key – by joining forces over sectors critical mass in terms of market can be created.

• Skills and talent development – addressing the workforce shortage through education and training at all levels.

The Nordic Chip Meet-Up 2025 demonstrated that the region has both the ambition and the conditions to play a decisive role in Europe’s semiconductor future. By uniting around sustainability, collaboration, and skills, the Nordics can complement Europe’s broader efforts under the Chips Act and strengthen global competitiveness.

Now is the time to move from dialogue to action!