Beyond the Fab: Building Europe’s Next Generation of Semiconductor Champions

By Ian Lankshear

August 7, 2026

The debate surrounding Europe’s semiconductor strategy has largely been framed around manufacturing. Governments have committed tens of billions of euros to attract new fabs, strengthen supply chains, and reduce dependence on overseas production. These investments are important and long overdue.

However, if Europe’s ambition is to become a global semiconductor leader, manufacturing alone will not be enough. The most successful semiconductor companies in the world don’t necessarily own the largest fabs. They own customer relationships, system expertise, intellectual property, product roadmaps, and long-term supply chains. Europe’s next challenge is not simply to build more fabs. It is to build more semiconductor champions.

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