Speech by President von der Leyen at the groundbreaking ceremony for the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) semiconductor plant

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Thank you very much for welcoming me here.

Thank you so much, Dr Wei.

Dear Chancellor Scholz,

Dear Minister-President Kretschmer,

Dear Mayor Hilbert,

Dear Professor Asenkerschbaumer,

Dear CEO Hanebeck

Dear Vice President Dirkzwager,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to be here. This is more than a groundbreaking ceremony we have ahead of us. It is an endorsement for Europe, as a global innovation powerhouse. The world’s largest chipmaker is coming to our continent and joining forces with three European champions. And the benefits will be felt well beyond Dresden and Saxony. European workers will gain 11,000 new jobs, both here and across our continent. European chip companies will gain access to new technologies and production capacities. European industries will benefit from more reliable local supply chains, and new products that are tailored to their needs. And at a time of growing geopolitical tensions, TSMC will also benefit from geographic diversification to Europe, better access to our European strengths, like automotive – as you said, the customer is of importance for you – and to our unique Single Market. So this is a true win-win situation for all of us. And I want to thank everyone who has brought us here today. I thank of course TSMC, Bosch, Infineon and NXP, the four partners of this joint project. But I also want to thank the Federal Government of Germany, the government of Saxony. My sincere thanks go to all of you for making it happen, and for believing in Europe’s immense potential. Thank you for having this ceremony here today.

What makes Dresden so special is not only its proximity to so many top-class firms in the automotive industry. The cluster of innovations that is located here is also unique in Europe. Europe is far more innovative than most of us think. Our research and development into semi-conductors is recognised around the world. We build incredibly powerful computers. The world’s best chip-making equipment is from here in Europe. I have visited world-class firms throughout Europe, in places like Leuven, Eindhoven and, of course, also right here in Dresden. I remember very well being at the groundbreaking ceremony of Infineon’s new fab last year. Behind all of these success stories lies hard work. Silicon Saxony showcases everything that makes Europe so attractive for investors and innovators. Here in the region, there are more than 2 500 companies in the chips sector. There is great cooperation between young start-ups and global giants, and between business and academia. The region has an amazing workforce, with over 75 000 employees in the chips sector. People in Saxony have long known what it takes to build top-class chips. They know their way around a clean room. They know what it’s like to work in these very special clothes. In many cases, their love for this demanding job came from their parents. It was passed on from generation to generation. And in the same way they want to pass on that passion to the next generation. Here in Dresden we can all see that Europe is so very much more than an attractive market. It is a unique place for growth and innovation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is upon Europe’s industrial strength, that we have built our European Chips Act. It has been three years now since we set the goal to double Europe’s share of global chip production to 20%. And since then, we have seen new state-of-the-art chip factories break ground across Europe. If you take Crolles near Grenoble, or Catania in Sicily. And now another here in Dresden. This new fab qualifies under the European Chips Act as a so-called first-of-a-kind facility. In other words, it will manufacture products that are not present or planned in any other facility across Europe. This means that this facility is also entitled to national financial support. So, good news, just this morning, I had the opportunity to authorise state aid from Germany to this project, to the tune of EUR 5 billion. And indeed, since we launched the European Chips Act, it has already attracted commitments of public and private investments in the order of EUR 115 billion. This is a true investment revolution for Europe’s chip sector. And this is just the beginning. Boosting our industrial competitiveness is a central pillar of the new five-year programme of the European Commission that I put forward in July.

First, I will propose a new European Competitiveness Fund as part of our new budget. It will invest in strategic technologies, and it will contribute to our Important Projects of Common European Interest, the so-called IPCEI, including in the field of chips and advanced packaging. The next European Commission must be and will be an investment Commission. Second, in the first 100 days of the new mandate, I will propose a new Clean Industrial Deal. One of its central goals will be to ensure access to cheap clean energy – it is wonderful to hear that you are completely renewable– and raw materials. And third, we will establish a Union of Skills. We want European workers to have the training they need for the quality jobs that you are creating for example here. So we must remove all the obstacles that are still slowing us down. And we must invest more in what makes Europe so attractive for companies like yours for example. We all know that the global race for the technologies of tomorrow is on. And I want Europe to really switch gear.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today is a day of celebration. It is a day of celebration for Dresden as a place of business. Indeed, it is a day of celebration for everyone here in Saxony, as here, a decade – if not a century – of tradition meets human skill, entrepreneurial spirit and a forward-looking economic strategy. What we’re really seeing here is the future, is opportunity and long-term prospects for prosperity for an entire region. I am therefore very grateful, and just a little bit proud, that Europe could play its part. But today’s ceremony is, of course, also another call to action. Europe must lead the way and it must continue to lead the way. The innovations of tomorrow must be made in Europe.

I would therefore like to thank you all for this important milestone. And as we just heard in the video: we are not at the end of a journey but at the beginning of a journey we will be taking together. I wish you the best of luck for this exciting new project.

Thank you very much.

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