58 companies and research organisations across Europe have come together in a €55m programme to boost the sustainability of producing semiconductor devices.
www.eenewseurope.com/, Jun. 16, 2025 –
From energy and water use to the gases and resists, the Genesis programme is aiming to make chip production more sustainable, not just in Europe but globally.
However is Europe just lagging behind and looking to put up regulatory barriers even as it wants to encourage chip makers to set up in the region?
“Genesis is addressing the full manufacturing scheme from the materials to the end result,” Lauren Pain, the coordinator at CEA-Leti in Grenoble tells eeNews Europe.
“I prefer to look at the environmental impact because when you are talking about sustainability there are always side effects. Of course we are addressing Scope 1, the direct emissions, but we also want to minimise the waste to optimise the use of the materials and introduce reuse and recycling of valuable materials.”
The consortium includes chip makers STMicroelectronics, Bosch, GlobalFoundries, Intel, Infineon and IBM and NXP Semiconductor and even Leonardo in Italy, which as a laser chip fab outside Tucson, Arizona.
The programme includes deploying sensor-integrated abatement systems to reduce PFAS ‘forever’ chemicals and greenhouse gas emissions.
There are many aspects to the sustainability of chip making, and the programme has four main workstreams, from developing sensors to analysing results. This will deliver 45 outcomes across the semiconductor lifecycle over the next three years:
“As chips become the backbone of everything from AI to energy systems, their environmental footprint is rapidly growing,” said Anton Chichkov, head of programs at Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) which along with Horizon Europe and member states in fuding the scheme. “Genesis responds to this urgent challenge by pioneering sustainable alternatives in materials, waste reduction, and resource efficiency. Through this initiative, Europe is not only investing in cleaner technologies—it’s positioning itself as a global leader in green semiconductor manufacturing.”
Pain agrees this is an issue that impact fabs around the world as it is driven by customer requirements.
“Each region has its own specific requirements but the end customers are pushing them to be more and more sustainable wherever the chip is manufactured, they will have to manage the water, be carbon neutral, to eliminate PFAS chemicals,” he said.