EIC teams up with Chips JU and Italy’s CNR‑IMM to court semiconductor buyers, but outcomes remain to be seen

Brussels, April 22nd 2026

Summary

›An online pitching event on 4 March 2026 brought five EIC‑backed semiconductor innovators before Chips JU and Italy’s CNR‑IMM.
›This was the first time the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme, via SPIN4EIC, partnered with an EU Joint Undertaking.
›The session aimed to open procurement channels and pilot opportunities, though no concrete tenders or contracts were announced.
›SPIN4EIC, InnoBuyer and InnoMatch frame the EIC’s demand‑side push, offering training, assistance and small pilot funding to ease market entry.

Pitching deep tech to public buyers: EIC, Chips JU and CNR‑IMM test the procurement path for semiconductors

On 4 March 2026, the European Innovation Council’s Innovation Procurement Programme, powered by SPIN4EIC, held an online pitching session with the Chips Joint Undertaking and the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems of Italy’s National Research Council. A curated group of five EIC‑supported companies presented semiconductor manufacturing solutions to these institutions. The EIC frames the event as a step toward opening procurement and pilot project opportunities for European deep tech. There are no disclosed procurement budgets or purchase commitments at this stage.

Who was involved and why it matters

Chips Joint Undertaking:Chips JU implements parts of the EU’s chips strategy by funding research, innovation and pilot lines in microelectronics. It brings together the European Commission, member states and industry under a public private governance structure to support capabilities from lab to pilot production. The JU’s pilot lines target faster prototyping and industrial uptake, including for wide‑bandgap semiconductors.

CNR‑IMM and the Wide‑Bandgap Pilot Line:The Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems within Italy’s National Research Council is part of the Wide‑Bandgap Pilot Line under the Chips for Europe Initiative. Wide‑bandgap materials such as silicon carbide, gallium nitride and diamond enable higher efficiency and performance at high voltages and temperatures, a core focus for power electronics and advanced sensing.

EIC Innovation Procurement Programme and SPIN4EIC:This EIC programme tries to convert technology readiness into market access by helping start‑ups and SMEs find and win public and private procurement opportunities. SPIN4EIC delivers free tailored tender assistance, training, and matchmaking with buyers. Partnering with a Joint Undertaking for the first time signals an effort to align supply‑side venture support with demand‑side instruments in a strategic sector.

What happened at the pitching event

Five EIC awardees pitched solutions relevant to advanced semiconductor manufacturing. The session was co‑hosted with CNR‑IMM and Chips JU as a pathway to potential pilots and procurement. The organisers released an event highlights video. Beyond visibility and introductions, the announcement does not detail selection criteria, buyer priorities, or any follow‑up mechanisms such as open market consultations or defined pilot budgets.

Innovator	EIC strand	Contact person as listed
Comptek Solutions	EIC Accelerator	Vicente Calvo Alonso
Diamfab	EIC Pathfinder	Ivan Llaurado
FononTech	EIC Accelerator	Fabien Bruning
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden	EIC Pathfinder and EIC Accelerator	Nazila Safari Yazd
Wooptix	EIC Accelerator	Roberto Pangallo

Technical and policy context

Wide‑bandgap semiconductors:Compared with silicon, WBG materials like SiC, GaN and diamond sustain higher electric fields, operate at higher temperatures and switch faster with lower losses. They are central to efficient power conversion in electric vehicles, renewable integration, industrial drives and aerospace.

Pilot lines in the EU chips strategy:Pilot lines aim to bridge research and industrial production by providing shared infrastructures for process development, prototyping and validation. In practice they help companies de‑risk scale‑up, qualify supply chains and meet certification and reliability benchmarks needed by conservative buyers in energy, automotive, aerospace and critical infrastructure.

Innovation procurement as a market‑entry tool:Public procurement can create first reference customers in regulated markets. Instruments such as Pre‑Commercial Procurement focus on R&D services at pre‑market stages, while Public Procurement of Innovative solutions targets near‑to‑market products. Both can anchor demand for European deep tech, provided buyers are willing and capable to run innovation‑friendly processes.

EIC funding strands referenced:EIC Pathfinder funds early stage science‑driven technologies. EIC Accelerator supports higher‑TRL ventures with blended finance that can include equity through the EIC Fund. Featuring both strands at the same event reflects the full research to market continuum but also raises the bar on matching heterogeneous TRLs with concrete buyer needs.

What we know and what we do not

Signals of progress

This was the first collaboration between SPIN4EIC and a Joint Undertaking. It exposes EIC‑backed start‑ups to institutions influencing pilot line agendas and public R&I portfolios in semiconductors. The thematic fit with wide‑bandgap materials and advanced manufacturing is clear, and the format can accelerate introductions that are otherwise slow in fragmented European markets.

Gaps and open questions

The communication does not specify procurement pathways after the pitches, such as whether open market consultations will follow, how pilot scopes would be defined, or what decision criteria Chips JU or CNR‑IMM will use. No technical readiness levels, certification statuses, or manufacturing maturity metrics are provided for the pitching companies. Without those elements, it is difficult to assess likely timeframes from introduction to purchase order or pilot award.

How SPIN4EIC and sister actions aim to turn interest into deals

The EIC’s Business Acceleration Services position procurement as a lever to scale deep tech. Three complementary instruments are relevant here. SPIN4EIC provides training, tender assistance and matchmaking. InnoBuyer pairs public or private challengers with SMEs to co‑create solutions. InnoMatch funds small pilots or proof‑of‑concepts with committed buyers to validate solutions in operational settings.

Instrument	Purpose	Key specifics and timelines
SPIN4EIC	Build supplier and buyer capacity, connect innovators to tenders	Ongoing assistance for EIC beneficiaries in EU and abroad. Open calls in 2026 for innovators and for EU public buyers. Delivers pitching events and online community.
InnoBuyer	Demand‑driven co‑creation between challengers and SMEs	EU funded coordination and support action. Budget of €2 million. Targets 15 pilots with public challengers. Provides open market consultation, matching and ToR support.
InnoMatch	Pilot testing and proof‑of‑concept with buyers	Runs until September 2027. Supports 38 pilots up to €60,000 per pilot. Open calls target both buyers with unmet needs and EIC beneficiaries proposing solutions.

Across the broader BAS portfolio since 2021, the EIC reports tens of thousands of one‑to‑one meetings and hundreds of deals. These figures indicate activity but do not isolate semiconductor outcomes or procurement‑specific conversion rates, so they should be read as directional rather than sectoral impact metrics.

What the pitching companies represent

The five presenters span materials, process and metrology themes that are typical chokepoints in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. While the event materials do not detail their offers, public information suggests the following focus areas.

Company	Likely focus area based on public materials	Why it matters for EU chips goals
Comptek Solutions	III–V surface passivation and defect mitigation	Passivation and interface quality are critical to yield and reliability, especially in compound semiconductors for RF and optoelectronics.
Diamfab	Synthetic diamond semiconductors for high power and extreme conditions	Diamond offers very wide bandgap and high thermal conductivity, relevant for efficient power devices and potentially quantum applications.
FononTech	Advanced manufacturing or process innovation in semiconductors	Process innovations can reduce cost or improve throughput in areas where Europe seeks competitive niches.
RISE	Applied research and pilot support across materials and microelectronics	Public research institutes can bridge TRL gaps and host pilot validations with industry.
Wooptix	Imaging and metrology innovations	In‑line metrology and inspection are essential to control advanced processes and raise yields.

These topics align with the wide‑bandgap pilot line and broader European ambitions in power electronics. The limiting factor is less a lack of promising concepts and more the challenge of integrating them into qualified industrial processes with proven reliability and supply resilience.

Procurement as a lever for semiconductor sovereignty

Europe remains dependent on non‑EU foundries for leading edge logic and on global suppliers for many specialty processes. The chips strategy uses pilot lines and R&I funding to rebuild capabilities where the EU can compete, notably in power electronics, automotive, industrial and niche sensing. Innovation‑friendly procurement by public buyers can provide initial demand signals, de‑risk adoption and help European suppliers gain references. However, procurement rules, fragmented buyer needs and conservative qualification cycles in power electronics often slow uptake. Aligning JU‑funded pilot lines with demand‑side instruments is therefore necessary but not sufficient. Clear technical roadmaps, committed pilot budgets and standardized evaluation criteria will determine whether pitching sessions translate into measurable orders.

Next steps, opportunities and where to engage

The EIC encourages innovators and buyers to join the SPIN4EIC community and subscribe to procurement‑focused newsletters. Future pitching and matchmaking sessions are planned under the EIC Business Acceleration Services. At the time of publication, SPIN4EIC maintains open assistance calls for both innovators and European public buyers, and continues to run training through the Innovation Procurement Academy. In parallel, InnoBuyer and InnoMatch provide structured pathways to define challenges and co‑fund small pilots with committed buyers.

Item	Date or status	Notes
EIC x Chips JU x CNR‑IMM pitching event	4 March 2026	Online session. Highlights video available.
SPIN4EIC assistance for EIC innovators	Open in 2026	Free tailored support for identifying and submitting tenders in EU and abroad.
SPIN4EIC assistance to public buyers	Open in 2026	Free support for needs assessment, OMCs and preparing innovation tenders.
Innovation Procurement Academy	20–22 April 2026	Online training for EIC awardees on procurement participation.
InnoBuyer programme	Active	CSA with €2m budget, demand‑driven SME co‑creation with public challengers.
InnoMatch pilots	Until September 2027	Up to 38 pilots funded at up to €60,000 each with public or private buyers.

How to follow up

Learn more about the featured innovators through their EIC profiles and corporate channels. Join the SPIN4EIC community to access thematic groups on digital, energy and sustainability, health, agriculture and construction. Subscribe to the SPIN4EIC newsletter and the EIC Business Acceleration Services newsletters for updates on pitching calls, procurement academies and buyer assistance windows. The organisers also point to a LinkedIn group dedicated to the EIC Innovation Procurement Programme.

Disclaimer

The original case study notes that the information is for knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or any other organisation. As with most early‑stage matchmaking, concrete procurement outcomes will depend on subsequent open market consultations, pilot scoping and buyer decisions that are not covered in the announcement.