Greece is once again far from the developments taking place in Europe aimed at strengthening the European semiconductor industry (i.e. the microchips found in every digital device) and reducing dependence on Southeast Asia.
On March 12, nine European Union member-states announced the creation of the Semiconductor Alliance, with the aim of accelerating the procedures for the creation of a competitive semiconductor industry and the launch of a second EU funding program for this purpose, the Chips Act 2.0.
The alliance in question includes Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands, but not Greece, even though alliances of this kind could give further impetus to the thriving, albeit small, domestic semiconductor industry.
The above is unfortunately not the only example of the downgrading of the issue by the Ministry of Development, which is the competent authority. Although Minister Takis Theodorikakos’ predecessor, Kostas Skrekas, had taken the decision to assign a company (as Kathimerini learned from McKinsey) to prepare a national strategy for semiconductors, this has not yet been done. The funding for the study has been secured, as by decision of Theodorikakos it was included in the Sectoral Development Program of the ministry last November and was solemnly announced by the former deputy minister, responsible for industrial issues, Anna Mani Papadimitriou at the “4th Emerging Tech Forum” conference organized in December by the Hellenic Emerging Technologies Industry Association (HETiA).
McKinsey was given the mandate to begin the study last summer, but the relevant contract has not yet been signed, resulting in a delay, according to reports.
At the same conference, Theodorikakos pledged that the ministry would finance the creation of the first Semiconductor Competence Center in Greece with 3.6 million euros, but the relevant actions were not carried out at the required speed, as competent officials and executives of companies in the sector point out to Kathimerini.
They also say Greece has failed to take advantage of the fact the deputy director-general of the EU’s Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technologies (DG Connect) is a very capable executive, Thomas Skordas.