• Over two days, more than 400 professionals and 90 speakers will discuss the future of talent within the European microchip and semiconductor industry.
• The European Commission has chosen the forum to publicly present the new legislation that will shape the EU’s microchip strategy.

Valencia will host the third edition of the Valencia Silicon Forum tomorrow; the event will take place on 4 and 5 June at CaixaForum Valencia and will bring together more than 400 experts and representatives from companies, institutions, universities and international organisations linked to the European semiconductor ecosystem.

Organised by Valencia Silicon Cluster (VaSiC) and Valencia City Council through Valencia Innovation Capital, the event has established itself as one of Europe’s leading gatherings specialising in talent, innovation and the microelectronics industry, at a time of key transformation for the sector globally.

Over two days, the forum will address the major challenges facing the semiconductor industry, with a particular focus on training and attracting talent, industrial competitiveness, attracting investment and strengthening the supply chain in Europe.

Institutional leadership and international presence

The opening session will be attended by the Mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá; the President of the Valencian Parliament, Llanos Massó; the Government Delegate for the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé; the Rector of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, José Capilla; the Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Valencia, José María Montiel; and the President of Valencia Silicon Cluster, Mayte Bacete.

The programme will also feature prominent international leaders from the semiconductor sector, such as Juan Diego Velásquez, Global Director of the Strategic Office at Purdue University (United States); María Marced, former president of TSMC Europe and chair of the European Commission’s Industry Advisory Group; and Jean-Luc Di Paola-Galloni, executive vice-president of the Valeo Group and industrial chair of the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), the European body responsible for implementing the EU’s microelectronics policy.

The European Commission will also participate in the forum with a presentation by the Head of the Semiconductors and Photonics Unit, Arian Zwegers, as part of a programme that positions Valencia as a hub for the European debate on the microchip industry.

European strategic semiconductor ecosystem

The Valencia Silicon Forum is taking place against a backdrop in which Valencia has strengthened its position within the European microelectronics ecosystem, following its participation in the technical work of the European Commission’s Industry Advisory Group, comprising the sector’s leading companies at European level.

The forum will bring together key players from the industrial, academic and institutional sectors to discuss an industry considered strategic for Europe’s competitiveness, digital transformation and technological autonomy.

Furthermore, as part of the forum, the 3rd VLC ChipCity Award will be presented, awarded jointly to the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University of Valencia in recognition of their contribution to the development of talent, research and innovation in the field of microelectronics.

Talent, investment and industrial leadership

Under the theme “Boosting Talent, Investment and Defence in the Era of the European Chips Act 2.0”, the forum will address some of the major challenges facing the European industry, including the training and recruitment of specialised talent, attracting investment, strengthening the supply chain, and the strategic role of semiconductors in European technological autonomy.

The programme will bring together representatives from international companies such as Analog Devices, Bosch, GlobalFoundries, MaxLinear, ams OSRAM, Hitachi, VLC Photonics, FYLA, Power Electronics and Numascale, alongside universities, technology centres and public administrations from various European countries.

The event thus consolidates Valencia as one of the emerging hubs of the European semiconductor ecosystem and as a connecting point between industry, talent and technology policy.

Valencia, a European leader in semiconductors

With the holding of this third edition, the Valencia Silicon Forum consolidates its position as one of the leading European events specialising in microelectronics, semiconductors and strategic technologies, reinforcing Valencia’s role as a key hub for the international technology industry and for the development of future European industrial policy.

The forum is sponsored by the University of Valencia, Technical University of Valencia, the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT), the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Universities of the Valencian Regional Government, the Regional Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Innovation and Trade of the Valencian Regional Government, MicroNanoSpain and Analog Devices.